A Father's Hope
by Kare831
Summary: Edward is an ex-Marine devastated by the betrayal of his ex-wife and kidnapping of his daughter. Bella wants him to let her in and he wants his daughter back. Encouraged to find a way to let Bella in and fight for his child, he has nothing but hope.
1. Chapter 1

All things Twilight belong to the ridiculously talented Stephenie Meyer. A Father's Hope belongs to me.

Just a bit of background on this particular fic; some of the events in this story are loosely based on a real life situation that happened to a member of my extended family. Sadly enough these events happen more often than we realize. On that note, I want to mention this story is about a child who is taken away from her father to a foreign country where the father has NO power to bring her back. The only angst you will see in this one is a father fighting for his child.

**A Father's Hope**

**Prologue**

"_Your Honor, Ms. Denali is in contempt of her custody agreement with Mr. Cullen. It clearly states that Ms. Denali has custody of the child during the school year. Two and a half months during the summer and every other holiday she is to be in Mr. Cullen's custody. The order also states that if the child is to be removed from the country, Ms. Denali needs to have written consent from Mr. Cullen. Ms. Denali only had Mr. Cullen's consent to take his daughter out of the country for approximately four weeks. She has been there for approximately ten MONTHS your Honor."_

_The judge turned to look at the Defense Attorney._

"_Mr. White, does your client dispute this fact?"_

"_Your Honor, my client simply took her daughter to her home country. She hadn't been home to visit in several years. Mr. and Mrs. Hassan, Ms. Denali's parents deserve to see their granddaughter. They deserve to get to know her. Ms. Denali is a student, and has been attending classes to become a flight attendant and then she hopes to attend school to become an airline pilot. These classes are costly, and the flight from Bahrain to the United States is very expensive. Ms. Denali simply can't afford to do both, and it's imperative that the child remain with her mother as it's the best place for her."_

_I could feel the anger rising in my chest; mixed with the ache of not seeing my daughter for ten long months it was more than I could bear. Irina had given me so many excuses as to why she couldn't bring my daughter home, and all of them were empty. Merely lies that slipped so easily from her mouth. Chloe was the one Irina was really hurting. Each time I talked to my little girl she begged to come home to me; my hands were tied, I had to leave it up to the judicial system, and I hoped with everything I had that they did the right thing._

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><p><em>AN: Thank you for reading. The majority of this story is prewritten and I will be posting chapter 1 later today._

_Thanks to twimom817 for beta'ing and edwardsmyobsession1971 for pre-reading - you ladies are awesome! *mwah*  
><em>


	2. Chapter 2

**Twilight belongs to the ridiculously talented Stephenie Meyer.**

**A Father's Hope belongs to me.**

**Thank you to my awesome beta twimom817, I'm so lucky to call her my friend.**

**I feel the need to give you this warning BEFORE anyone gets too worried … this story is mostly about Edward and events that happen in his life. Yes, we will see Bella but she won't come into the story until later. Anyone who has read my other story, Perfect Game knows that I'm an Edward and Bella girl all the way.**

**Are y'all still with me? Good, because this is where the story really begins.**

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><p><strong>Chapter One<strong>

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><p>"Yo Eddie! Hey man, wassup? You up for going out tonight?"<p>

"Yorkie! What's up man?" I asked, bumping my fist with his. "Yeah, I'm game for going out."

Eric Yorkie was a member of my squad and we were currently stationed just outside Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Occasionally we could go into the city and hang out at the bars and clubs. The only bad thing was that even though we weren't in uniform, it was still like being in a meat market; everyone knew we were American soldiers.

That was the night I met Irina. I was twenty two years old.

Yorkie and I were sitting at a bar having a few beers with our buddies when I looked over and saw a gorgeous girl sitting with her friends. They were laughing and appeared to be having a good time while enjoying a few drinks.

She really was gorgeous; dark hair that hung just past her shoulders, pale porcelain skin, rosy pink lips and icy blue eyes framed with thick lashes. She was petite, no more than five feet tall I'd say and she had a jaw dropping smile.

"Yo Ed … are you looking at what I think you're looking at?" Cheney asked.

"Yeah, man I think I am," I replied.

"Well let's go over and introduce ourselves. Maybe they want to dance or we can buy 'em another round?"

"Sure, sure."

Yorkie, Cheney and I left our lofty perch at the bar and made our way over to where the gorgeous girl was sitting with her friends.

"Hi … I'm Edward," I offered to the gorgeous girl.

"Hi, Edward. I'm Irina nice to meet you."

She spoke with an adorable English accent. Not exactly something I was expecting, but it was nice none the less.

"Would you like to dance?" I asked timidly.

"I'd love to, Edward."

I don't know how long we stayed out on the dance floor, but I found myself completely taken with her. There was something dark and mysterious about her but her personality was light and happy. Her eyes danced when she laughed; which was often.

When we'd had enough dancing and enough to drink we went outside and sat on the hood of the Jeep we'd borrowed. We talked and talked until the sun began to rise.

"I'm sorry, Edward. I have to go. My parents will be furious that I stayed out this late."

"Wait … Irina, can I see you again?"

She nodded and dug down in her purse for a scrap of paper before hastily writing down her cell phone number.

"Call me."

I did call her, and I did see her several more times. I fell completely in love with her. So much so that when I got the date that I'd finally be going home, I begged her to come home to Washington with me so she could meet my parents. While she couldn't exactly come with me because I was flying on a transport plane with the rest of my squad, she could fly on a commercial jet and meet me there.

"Dad! Come on! We're going to be late picking Irina up at the airport if you don't hurry."

"Calm down, Son. We'll get there in plenty of time to pick her up."

"Edward, sweetheart, be careful," my mom pleaded.

"You're going to love her, Mom. I promise."

My Dad dropped me off at the curb while I jogged in to the baggage claim area to wait for her. I couldn't believe she was really flying all the way to Washington, and I couldn't wait to see her.

"Edward!" Irina cried.

"Rina," I breathed.

She was more beautiful than the last time I'd seen her, and she was finally there in my arms.

"You are a sight for sore eyes, Rina."

She laughed.

"I'm happy to see you too, Edward."

Our lips met and our tongues tangled in a forgotten dance.

"God, I've missed you."

I spent the next week showing Irina my very favorite parts of Seattle. From the view at the top of the Space Needle, to the banks of the Puget Sound; I showed her why I loved the Pacific Northwest and why I'd always call it home.

We were sitting together one evening on my parent's back porch. It was a rare, clear, rain-free evening. Irina took my hand in hers and began to speak.

"Edward?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm pregnant."

"What?"

"I'm pregnant, Edward."

"Jesus, Irina. How long have you known?"

"A couple weeks. I didn't want to tell you over the phone, and then I kept waiting for the right time to tell you."

"The right time?" I asked.

I sighed heavily. I knew my parents wouldn't be happy about the idea of a grandchild out of wedlock, but they'd accept it eventually and so would my sister, Alice.

"My father wants us to get married," she said quietly.

"You told your parents before you told me?"

"My mother took me to the doctor, Edward. I didn't have a choice in the matter."

"Fuck. What a mess," I said, running my hands through my hair.

Irina sobbed as she sat next to me.

"Rina, I'm sorry. I wasn't expecting you to tell me you were pregnant. We're both at fault here."

"I … I love you, Edward."

"I love you too, Rina."

The next morning, I sat down and talked to my parents. While they weren't happy about the situation, they weren't angry, but they made it clear that abortion wasn't acceptable. We were Catholic but didn't regularly attend Mass. Alice and I had both attended a Catholic high school and were raised with high morals. We obviously didn't always practice them.

"Edward, sweetheart, we know you made a mistake, but we trust that you will do whatever you need to do to make it right. Your Dad and I will support your decision no matter what. We're a family and we'll get through it together."

"We're going to get married. The baby's due in November, so we have plenty of time."

"Have you talked to her parents?" Dad asked.

"Yes. They want me to convert to Muslim and then they want us to get married."

"Is that the right thing to do, sweetheart?" Mom asked, concerned.

"I love her, Mom, and she's pregnant with my baby."

Two months later, Irina and I were married in a small civil ceremony in Bahrain. Not long after that I was transferred to Camp Pendleton.

Chloe Renee Cullen was born on November 14, 2001.

She was beautiful, and she was definitely the best part of Rina and me. I never thought I'd be a doting dad, but my world changed completely the first time I held her in my arms.

It wasn't long after Chloe was born that I saw a side of Rina that I hadn't experienced before. I'd come home from work to find our small apartment in shambles. The kitchen was a mess; there were dirty dishes stacked in the sink, dirty baby clothes strewn about the living room. Rina would hand Chloe to me and then walk to our bedroom and shut the door, effectively leaving me with the baby and a mess to clean up.

I cleaned it of course because I couldn't stand to live in such a mess. I got that habit from my mom. She keeps the cleanest house in the world, and she holds a full time job and raised two kids. Standing there in the middle of that mess made me appreciate my mom a whole lot more.

"Is tea ready?" Irina asked.

"Tea?"

"Yes, tea. You know that meal that you eat at the end of the day?"

"You mean dinner?" I asked confused.

"Whatever you call it," she said, rolling her eyes.

"No, it's not ready. I haven't sat down since I've been home. I changed and fed Chloe and got her to sleep, and now I'm starting to clean the kitchen which was immaculate when I left for work this morning."

"I'm sorry, Edward. Maybe if I had someone here to help me change Chloe's nappies it would be much easier."

"Are you serious? You're not capable of changing her diapers throughout the day and still manage to keep the apartment clean? Really?"

"If we were in Bahrain we'd have servants to do that type of thing. Edward, can you please make me some macaroni and cheese? I'm starving and I need to feed Chloe again soon."

Annoyed that I apparently had to wait hand and foot on my wife, take care of my daughter, play maid and cook, I pulled a beer out of the fridge and leaned against the counter as I popped it open and took a long pull from it.

I talked to Irina about my frustrations and things got a little better, but not much. Fourteen months later, I got another transfer to Parris Island, South Carolina. Instead of living in a small uncomfortable apartment, we'd be getting a house. It was base housing, but it was a house none the less.

We found that we loved Parris Island. It wasn't Washington, but it was comfortable. I had made some new friends and Irina had made some new friends. We found other couples with young kids that we could hang out with. Chloe was getting bigger every day, and every day she looked more and more like me. Bronze colored hair, green eyes; she even had my crooked smile.

She was a Daddy's girl in every way.

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><p><strong>AN: The response to this story thus far has been completely overwhelming! I am so thankful to each and every one of you for reading!**

**To those of you who are wondering about the length of the story … we're looking at about 13 chapters. As for posting … I've debated between twice a week or maybe even more often. The first nine chapters are already written AND beta'd … chapter 10 is about 90% done … so we'll see how it goes. Sound good?**

**As always, please review because it totally makes my day! =)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Twilight belongs to the ridiculously talented Stephenie Meyer.**

**A Father's Hope belongs to me.**

**A HUGE thanks to my awesome beta, twimom817 she's a lifesaver. Thanks BB, you ROCK!**

**Are y'all still with me? Remember this is Edward's story, but we'll meet Bella in a few more chapters. How many of y'all are ready to strangle Irina? Yeah, I know, me too.**

**She needs an epic flogging of the highest order, but wait … she only gets worse if that's even possible. So … on with Edward's story. I'll see y'all at the bottom.**

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><p><strong>Chapter Two<strong>

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><p>"I'm sorry, Rina … I have to go. This is what I signed up for. You always knew there was a possibility that I'd be deployed."<p>

"I know, but I guess I never figured Chloe into the equation. I'll be all alone here with her."

"My mom said you could go visit them for a while. They'd love to have you and Chloe there. Besides, Alice would love to take you out clubbing, I'm sure."

"You really don't think they'd mind?"

"No, babe. I really don't think they'd mind. I'm sure playing with Chloe is pure torture for them," I said sarcastically.

While I headed to the Middle East, my wife and daughter headed to the Pacific Northwest to spend a couple months with my parents and sister. As I promised, my Mom was delighted to have Chloe there. My Dad was too. They found so much happiness and joy in her. Being grandparents suited them.

Mom and Dad encouraged Irina to spend time with Alice since they were about the same age. I wouldn't say that Alice and Irina became good friends; Irina loved Alice and Alice only tolerated Irina for mine and Chloe's sake.

After about four months, Irina felt like she and Chloe had worn out their welcome at my parent's place in Washington. The truth was that they wanted to keep Chloe and send Irina packing. Irina said that my Mom had become irritated with her when she asked her to cook something special or when Irina waited for my Mom to do her laundry.

"I'm not a maid, Edward. God certainly didn't put me on this green earth to wait on your wife hand and foot. That girl is just lucky I didn't put my little foot up her little ass!"

It was rare that I got to call home, but when I did, I certainly didn't want my Mom to spend twenty minutes telling me how vile my wife was. I didn't need her to tell me, I'd experienced that side of Irina first hand.

Irina and Chloe returned to Parris Island for a few more months before she started going stir crazy again. She sent me an email saying that her parents had bought tickets for her and Chloe to go home to Bahrain and they'd stay there until just before my tour ended. The only good thing about that was that I'd be able to see my wife and daughter when I had a weekend off.

I knew that I'd missed my little girl, but up until I saw her I hadn't realized just how much. She was growing up before my eyes and I was helpless to stop it.

"Daddy!" Chloe cried.

"Chloebear!" I smiled as I scooped up my daughter and swung her around in my arms.

"I missed you, Daddy!"

"I missed you too, baby. Have you been a good girl for mommy?"

"Yep! Just like I promised, Daddy."

I set my daughter on her feet and reached down to hug and kiss my wife.

"I've missed you, Rina."

"I've missed you too, Edward."

"Everything okay?" I asked.

"Yeah, everything's fine. I'm just going to leave you and Chloe to play for a while … we'll talk later?"

I nodded and went off to play with Chloe.

"Daddy … you should meet Mommy's friend Felix. He comes over a lot to see Mommy. He's nice and said he could be my friend."

_Excuse me?_

My four year old just told me that my wife invited another man into MY house. But she's four so maybe she just doesn't understand. Maybe he's the mailman or something. There has to be a logical explanation for it.

Neither Irina nor Chloe mentioned this Felix guy again, so I blew it off. Until, a few days later I got an email from a buddy of mine who was still at Parris Island. His wife had never particularly cared for Irina, but she saw a talk dark haired guy knocking on our door late one night and apparently Irina answered the door and the guy didn't leave until the next morning because my buddy's wife had seen him leaving. I replied to his email and asked if it was the first incident. It took a few days for me to get his reply but he said no, that it was a regular occurrence.

The weekend that I'd spent with Irina and Chloe, Irina was distant. When I thought about it, it made complete sense. If she was cheating on me, she would be distant because she probably felt guilty. The more I thought about it the more my chest ached. I would never … could never cheat on my wife. I'd made a commitment to her; while we didn't always see eye to eye, I loved her – at least I thought I did.

About six months before I was supposed to come back from my deployment, Irina told me she was going back to Parris Island.

"Edward … I met someone. I love him. I'm going to South Carolina to pack up my things and I'm moving to California with him."

"What about me?"

"What about you, Edward?"

"Did I matter at all to you?"

"Of course you mattered! You're the father of my child. We just got married too young. We made a mistake. We never should have had Chloe and we never should have gotten married."

"How can you say that, Irina? Chloe is the best part of us," I argued.

"Maybe. You can't argue that we don't belong together, Edward. Together we are toxic. You want someone like your Mom and I want a career. I'm not the person you want me to be and I won't apologize for that."

I'll be the first to admit that I never had any grand illusions that Irina would ever be the perfect wife, but I was okay with that. I was willing to accept her imperfections and work around them. But the more I thought about it, she was right. We were toxic. I shouldn't have to change for her and she shouldn't have to change for me. However, she did need to bend a little where Chloe was concerned.

"Fine. I'll be home in a couple months and I'm not re-enlisting so I'll be going back to Washington. I'll take Chloe for the summer."

"Fine. Goodbye, Edward."

I felt so hurt and betrayed by Irina I could barely breathe. If what she really wanted was to run to the arms of another man, I wasn't about to stop her. She didn't want to fight for our marriage so there was no point in me fighting either. I would however, fight for my daughter. She was the innocent one in all of this mess. If I couldn't make it right for me, I'd make it right for her.

True to my word, before I flew home to Washington, I made a stop in Southern California. Irina met me at the airport with Chloe and together Chloe and I went to Washington for the summer.

"Daddy … why don't you live with us anymore?"

My heart broke at the expression on my daughter's face. She was so young to be asking such big questions and I hated that she needed to ask.

"Oh Chloebear … sometimes it's better for mommies and daddies not to live together. Sometimes they get along better that way, like your mommy and me."

"Is it better for you not to live with me, Daddy?"

"Chloebear … if you lived with me instead of your mommy she'd miss you so much."

"But don't you miss me, Daddy?"

"Every day, baby, every day."

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><p>AN: Just a few things because I know a few of you have been wondering. (And you know who you are, but I love ya so it's all good ...lol)

1. This story will be 13 chapters including the Epilogue. I only have the Epilogue left to finish up, so … that brings me to the next thing.

2. Since I'm done writing and the majority of the chapters have already been beta'd I will post once a day since I know it's killing most of you to know what happens next. (And I don't really want to leave you hanging because I hate it when that happens!)

3. This story is entirely in Edward's point of view since it's his story, but I'm pretty sure that no one is complaining about that. =)

4. As I've said, this story is loosely based on things that happened to a family member of mine. Everything that you see in this fic regarding "Irina" is actually true. She really was that awful.

I can't wait to see what you think so leave me a review! =D


	4. Chapter 4

**Twilight belongs to the ridiculously talented Stephenie Meyer.**

**A Father's Hope belongs to me.**

**A HUGE thanks to my awesome beta, twimom817. Thanks BB, you ROCK!**

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><p><strong>Chapter Three<strong>

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><p>I did a lot of thinking that summer that I had Chloe. I talked to a friend of my dads who happened to be a lawyer and helped me file for divorce. My dad helped me apply to the Police Academy and after going through all the preliminary requirements I was slated to start in September. My parents were proud of the decisions I had made, all that was left was to make sure Chloe was taken care of.<p>

Irina flew up to Seattle to pick her up at the end of the summer, and saying goodbye to Chloe was one of the hardest things I ever had to do.

"Bye, Chloebear. I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Promise, Daddy?"

"I promise, baby."

I hoped to God that I could actually keep that promise.

I started the police academy and seemed to have found my footing. My cousin Emmett attended also and it was nice to have someone to share something with. We were both ex-Marines; both interested in law enforcement, we each had a four year old little girl and a lot of baggage. Emmett and I grew up together so we had always been close.

When Chloe was with me in Washington, she spent a lot of time playing with Emmett's daughter, Katie. I remembered how cool it was to grow up with my cousin and I wanted that for Chloe.

By mid-October, I'd begun to settle into a routine. I was still living at home with my parents and sister, but my mom was happy to have me out of the desert and under her roof.

I talked to Chloe on the phone as much as I could. Hearing her sweet little voice gave me the push that I needed to keep going. After Irina admitted to having an affair, I didn't want anything to do with women. My mom promised that not all women are like Irina and somewhere deep in my heart I know that but Irina had taken my heart and stomped on it like it was nothing.

Just after Halloween, I got an email from Irina with a picture of my little Chloe dressed up like a princess. She was adorable. Irina also wanted to know if she could take Chloe to Bahrain to celebrate her fifth birthday. I immediately emailed her back and told her to give me a couple days to think about it. My cell phone rang immediately.

"Edward … please?"

"Irina …" I sighed. "When are you coming back?"

"I … I'm not sure."

"That's not good enough. I need a date."

"I'll have her back before Christmas if that's what you're worried about. I'll even bring her to Seattle. Please?"

"You promise you have her back here before Christmas?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Just … be careful okay?"

"We will. Thank you, Edward."

Together, my mom, sister and I put together a box to send to Chloe in Bahrain so she had something to open from us on her birthday. We paid extra to make sure it got there on time.

Chloe's birthday came and went and we didn't hear a word from her or Irina. We didn't even know if she'd gotten her gifts. I tried calling Irina and even her parent's house number but no one ever answered.

I was beyond frustrated. I hadn't spoken to them since before they left and I had no idea if they had even arrived safely. I just assumed they had. I longed to hear Chloe's sweet little voice but instead I had to settle for my mom's.

"I'm sure they're fine, Edward. You know how Irina is."

"I just want to talk to Chloe and hear her voice. I want to know she's okay."

"Oh, sweetheart," Mom sniffled, hugging me tightly.

Two days before Christmas, Irina finally called. When I asked why I wasn't able to get in touch with them, she said it was because they'd gone to London to visit family.

"You didn't tell me you were going to London. Don't you think I would have wanted to know that little piece of information?"

"Well, we weren't sure we were going until the last minute. Then with rushing around to get everything ready to leave, I just forgot to call in the shuffle of everything."

"You couldn't have called me AFTER you got to London? Irina, I'm her father. I have a right to know where you take her."

"I know, Edward and I'm sorry."

"When are you coming home?" I asked tersely.

"Well, that's what I was calling about. My Dad wants us to stay here until after my mother's birthday in January."

"No! No, absolutely not. You promised that you'd have her back before Christmas. It's two fucking days away Irina. I want my daughter home NOW. If you want to go back to Bahrain for your mother's birthday, that's fine, but I want my daughter HERE."

There were hushed voices speaking on the other end of the phone, so I knew that Irina must have been talking with her parents.

"Fine, Edward. We will try and find a flight. I'll email you and let you know the details."

"Tonight, Irina. Email me tonight," I demanded.

"Okay."

I exhaled sharply as I ended the call. I looked up to see my parents standing in the doorway of my room with concerned expressions on their faces.

"What's going on, Son?" My dad asked.

I explained the phone call from Irina and they were livid to say the very least. As quickly as he could my Dad went down to his office and began to look for airfare.

"There are several flights they could get on first thing in the morning," my dad said, after spending a few minutes online.

An hour later, I received an email from Irina saying that there weren't any flights available for them to take until the 30th of December. I could feel the blood boiling under my skin as I replied to her email telling her that it was bullshit, that there were plenty of flights they could have taken but she'd find any excuse she could not to return Chloe home to me.

I knew it was dangerous letting my temper get the best of me. Irina could choose not to return Chloe to me at all. Thankfully, we had a hearing in January to set the parameters of Chloe's custody situation.

On New Year's Eve, I received a call from Irina saying that they had just landed at Sea-Tac and hoped that I could make arrangements to come and pick them up. Unfortunately, I was doing a ride a long that evening, so I called Alice knowing that she was the only one home but even she was getting ready to go out.

"Ali … I need a huge favor. I need you to go to Sea-Tac and pick up Chloe and Irina."

"Are you serious? Edward, it's New Year's Eve. Jasper and I have plans for dinner."

"I know, I know. I'm doing a ride along and we're getting ready to leave in a few minutes as a matter of fact. Please, Ali? I really need you to do this for me."

"All right, Edward. Only because it's Chloe."

"Thanks, Ali. I owe you one."

I got a text from Alice a little over an hour later saying that she had picked up Chloe and Irina from the airport and dropped them off at the house before leaving to go out with Jasper. She had spoken with my mom and she and dad were headed home to spend the evening with Chloe.

Chloe and Irina stayed with us until January when we all had to go to California for the custody hearing. Much to my dismay the judge gave Irina and me joint custody with me only getting Chloe for the summer months and every other holiday and during spring break. I could also have her any weekend I wanted, but that was a bit difficult seeing as how I lived in Washington and Irina and Chloe were going to reside in California. At that point however, I'd settle for whatever the judge gave me. The custody order also states that when I have visitation I have to fly from Washington to California to get Chloe as well as fly her home at the end of the visitation.

I wasn't scheduled to see Chloe again until June.

"Please take me back to Mom-mom and Pop-pop's with you, Daddy. I wanna go home with you."

"God, I wish I could, Chloebear, but I can't. The judge said that you have to stay here with Mommy. I promise that I'll see you this summer though. I'll come and get you and you can come home to Mom-mom and Pop-pop's with me then, okay?"

"Promise?"

"Yes, baby. I promise."

June couldn't come soon enough.

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><p><strong>AN: Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed. I'm in awe at the response to this story! I promise that I will slowly but surely work my way through and reply to each and every review. I'm only off one day a week and I have a four year old so please bear with me! =)**

**As always, I can't wait to hear what you think!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Twilight belongs to the ridiculously talented Stephenie Meyer.**

**A Father's Hope belongs to me.**

**Thanks to twimom817 for beta'ing for me … you rock, bb and I appreciate it more than you know!**

**So the consensus is that Irina is a total bitch and we definitely don't like her. So ... let's meet Bella and bring a little sunshine into Edward's life shall we?**

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><p><strong>Chapter Four<strong>

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><p>Nearly a year after I filed for divorce, it was finalized. I was finally free of my obligations to Irina because she didn't contest the adultery nor did she ask for anything from me with the exception of child support. There was never any question as to whether or not I would take care of Chloe. I had told Irina on more than one occasion that I was happy to pay for anything Chloe needed. If she wanted dance or piano lessons, I told Irina to sign her up and tell me how much.<p>

By the time June arrived, I was anxious to see Chloe. I talked to Irina and made arrangements to fly into LAX where she'd meet me with Chloe and then we'd turn around and fly back to Washington the same day.

I was overjoyed to finally have my daughter home in Washington with me. A few weeks into her stay, Emmett and I planned a fishing trip with our girls. Katie and Chloe were excited to see each other of course, since they knew they'd have the entire summer to play together. As we were driving to our favorite fishing spot, Chloe begged me to let her stay in Washington and live with Alice, Mom, Dad and me.

"Please, Daddy?"

"Why, Chloebear? Don't you like living with Mommy?"

"Mommy's not there very often. She leaves a lot."

"She does?"

"Uh huh. We live with Felix and his cousins. Felix and Mommy aren't home a lot."

"So do you just hang out in your room and wait for her to come home?"

"I don't have a room of my own. I share a room with Felix's cousins."

"Chloebear … how many kids do you share a room with?"

"Umm … Tanya, David, Carmen and Demitri."

"Do you share a bed with any of them?" I asked, extremely pissed at this point.

"No, I sleep on the floor."

If I ever needed medication for high blood pressure it was at that moment. First to hear that my daughter was being ignored by her mother; then to find out that she was sharing a room with four other kids AND she sleeps on the floor? It was nearly more than I could bear.

I was thankful that my mom had emptied out one of their guestrooms and redecorated it for Chloe. My Dad had spent an entire weekend painting the entire room princess pink before the furniture store delivered a white canopy bed and dresser with a mirror.

When all was said and done, my mom had transformed what once was a bland guestroom into a little girl's dream room. She would always have that when she came home to Washington.

As Emmett and I waded around in the shallow water attempting to try and help our daughters catch something, I told him everything that Chloe had told me.

"Document it, dude. Every time she does something stupid, every email saying that she'll have her back by a certain date and then doesn't … document it. Use that shit against her next time you go to court. Make sure you let your lawyer know what you have in your arsenal."

"It seems so awful to have to resort to that. I was married to her for Christ's sake."

"I know, dude. I've been there. At the end of the day, you have to protect Chloe and do what's best for her. It may be that being with Irina isn't the best thing for her."

"Yeah, but maybe being with me isn't the best thing for her either. I'm still in the academy and I live with my parents … I need to be able to provide a home for her."

"Why would having Chloe at your parent's be so terrible? It's a stable environment, and that house is so filled with love it's bursting at the seams. Chloe would never want for anything if she was there with you and Uncle Car and Aunt Es. God, don't get me started on Alice … she'd be in hog heaven if Chloe was there 24/7."

I chuckled.

"Yeah … I guess you're right."

"I know I'm right, dude. Now all we have to do is find you a good woman to share your life with and you'll be good to go."

"Jesus, Em. My divorce was just finalized three weeks ago and you want to tangle me up with another female already? No thanks. I'm done with women for a while."

"Come on man! Rosie and I are getting married soon and you're gonna need a date to the wedding. Besides … Rosie already has someone in mind for you."

"Not everyone needs a date to a wedding. I'll just bring Chloe as my date then I won't have to worry about all the complications afterward."

"Eddie … come on man. Rosie's friend is one of the sweetest girls I know; next to Rosie, of course. Seriously man, she's pretty and nice. She's a nurse and works at a pediatrician's office so how bad could she be?"

"Em …"

"Just come out with me and Rosie and meet her for drinks," he pleaded.

"All right, all right. Drinks. That's it."

A week later, I found myself sitting at a high top table in one of our regular haunts having drinks with Emmett, Rosalie and her friend, Bella.

When I first saw Bella, all I could think about was how much she looked like Irina. She was slender and petite but she was a few inches taller, and her hair was more of a mahogany brown compared to Irina's dark, almost black hair. Bella's eyes were a greenish-brown color with flecks of gold in them. Her skin was a peachy color and she had splatters of freckles across her nose and cheeks, as well as on her chest and shoulders.

Usually when Irina went out, whether it was to a club or just to meet our friends for drinks, she spent hours getting ready, and dressed meticulously. Bella seemed completely the opposite. She wore very little make up if any, and she wore a pair of dark skinny jeans and a tank top. On her feet, she wore a pair of gray Chucks. I couldn't tell how long her hair was because she had it swept up in a messy bun.

Emmett, however, was wrong. Bella wasn't merely pretty; she was beautiful.

I was drawn into conversation with her and found that she was not only beautiful, but extremely intelligent and very funny. The more she drank, the less verbal filter she had. That was perfectly fine with me because she was completely honest.

"I have zero tolerance for bullshit," she warned me.

I couldn't help but smile because in that moment, she reminded me so much of Rosalie. I had nothing but respect for Rosalie because she kept Emmett's dumb ass in check.

Rosalie of course laughed and shook her head.

"So … Edward. Rose tells me that you're a former Marine?" Bella asked.

"Guilty." I admitted.

"I think that's cool. My grandfather was a Marine. He served during World War II. He was there on Mt. Suribachi when they raised the flag. We think pretty highly of the Marine Corps in my family."

"I'm proud to have been a Marine, and to have served. It taught me a lot, things that I wouldn't have learned anywhere else."

"Thank you, Edward," Bella said softly.

"For what?"

"For serving. It takes strength and courage and I think that people generally don't give it a second thought. They never stop to be thankful for the freedoms we're given or to the people that fight for them. So thank you."

I felt so humbled in that moment. There sat a beautiful woman telling me something that no one else ever had before, except my CO when I was discharged. I spent ten years of my life in the Marines and that was the first time that I'd been told thank you.

"You're very welcome, Bella."

Bella and I continued to sit at the table and talk while Emmett and Rose danced on the dance floor. I found myself lost in the conversation, hanging on every word that came out of her sweet mouth.

"Come on, Bells, we gotta get goin' if we want to make it to that dress fitting in the morning," Rosalie reminded her as she and Emmett made their way out the door.

"Bella, wait," I shouted over the loud music.

"What?" she asked as she turned back toward me and smiled.

"Can we … maybe get together again sometime?" I asked shyly.

"I'd love to." She smiled.

I handed her my phone and she typed in her number. When she handed it back, I immediately called her.

"There, now you have mine too," I said, smiling crookedly.

"See you around, Edward."

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><p><strong>AN: Time for my confession ... hehe my Grandfather served in the Marines and he was there on Mt. Suribachi when they raised the American flag on Iwo Jima. He said it was one of the most beautiful and surreal things he'd ever seen. I also have several other family members who've served in the military ... I think the only branch we didn't cover was the Coast Guard. So yeah ... we think pretty highly of the military in our family. If you ever have the opportunity to go to the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico, VA - GO! It's absolutely beautiful!**

**As always, leave me a review! See you tomorrow!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Twilight belongs to the ridiculously talented Stephenie Meyer.**

**A Father's Hope belongs to me.**

**A HUGE thanks to twimom817 for beta'ing. This wouldn't be nearly as pretty without her.**

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><p><strong>Chapter Five<strong>

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><p>The morning after I met Bella, I sat down for coffee with my mom. She must have thought we were playing twenty questions. What does she look like? Where is she from? What does she do?<p>

"She's really pretty, she's from Seattle, and she's an RN," Alice chirped as she pranced through the kitchen to pour her own coffee.

"Wait," I said. "You know Bella?"

"Yeah. Rosalie and I hang out and I've met Bella a few times. We've been trying to get her to meet you for a while. She's not quite as bitter about men as you are about women, but she comes close."

"Ouch, Alice. That hurts," I said as I covered my chest with my hand.

"I can't help if it's true, Edward. Bella is adorable and very sweet. You should give her a chance. I just hope she'll let you."

A few days later, I texted Bella from work to see if she'd meet me for drinks again that weekend. She texted back a few minutes later.

_**Sounds like a plan. Can we go somewhere a bit quieter this time? –B**_

_**Sure thing. Do you want to pick the place or should I? – E**_

_**Mariner's Landing? Friday night say 7ish? –B**_

_**Mariner's Landing at 7ish on Friday it is. See you then. –E**_

_**Can't wait. –B**_

Mariner's Landing was a quiet café in a small suburb of Seattle. I only knew of it because of my dad. It was a favorite hangout of some of the older cops – like my dad. I hadn't been there in years. When I arrived, I looked around but I saw that Bella hadn't arrived yet. I was relieved, thinking if anyone was late it was going to be me. I had gotten out of class late that day and then I ran home to take a shower and change before meeting Bella.

"Edward! Sorry I'm late," Bella apologized as she slid into the booth. "I just got off work and my phone is completely dead."

"That's okay. I wasn't sure if I'd be on time myself."

She looked adorable, her face flushed and looking all flustered. She was wearing royal blue scrub pants and a scrub shirt that had Cookie Monster all over it.

"I know, I'm a mess, but I didn't have time to go home and change or I would have been REALLY late."

"Stop, Bella. You look amazing, so don't even worry about it."

A beautiful blush crossed her face making her look so innocent and sweet.

We each ordered a beer and something to eat and we sat and talked for hours over the most mundane things. I told her how Emmett and I grew up with each other, and how close Emmett's little sister, Lauren and Alice were.

"I want that for my daughter, 'ya know? We were so close, I'd love for her and Katie to be close to one another."

Bella giggled.

"What?"

"I was wondering when you were going to mention your daughter," Bella said softly.

"Does it bother you that I have a daughter?"

"No, not at all. I love kids. That's why I work in a pediatrician's office."

"So why didn't you become a teacher or something along those lines?"

"And warp young minds?" She giggled. "I don't know. I always wanted to be a doctor until I realized how much school was involved. I even took the exam to get into Med school, but I decided to become an RN instead. There is such a demand for RN's right now. The only bad part of my job is that I have to be the meanie to stick kids with their shots, but then it's all good again when I give them a lollipop. It's like I'm their best friend."

She spoke with such reverence about her job that it was clear she loved what she did.

"Do you want kids of your own one day?" I asked, suddenly serious.

"Someday. If I meet the right person that is. I've been unfortunate enough to meet more wrong guys than potential right ones."

I chuckled.

"I hear ya there. Have you ever been married?"

"No. Although, I was engaged once. I was just smart enough to figure out that he wasn't someone worth marrying before I took the big plunge."

"I wish I had been that lucky."

Bella nodded.

"Rosalie told me a little bit about your ex. Don't worry though, I asked her not to tell me too much. It's your story to tell if and when you want to tell it."

"Thanks, Bella. I hope you don't mind but that's one subject I'd rather not think about."

I smiled apologetically hoping that she'd change the subject.

"So … how old is your daughter?"

She didn't fail me.

"She's five. She'll be six in November."

"What's her name?"

"Chloe Renee." I smiled.

"Renee is my mom's name," Bella mused.

"As long as you don't tell me your dad's name is Chloe, we're good."

Bella giggled again.

"Close … his name is Charlie. He knows your dad and uncle apparently. My dad's been a cop forever."

"Yeah, I think he does. My dad mentioned something about it the other day. I guess they've invited you and your parents to come over to our house for a BBQ on Sunday."

"Yeah, my mom mentioned that. I'm not sure what kind of company I'll be on Sunday. Tomorrow night we're taking Rosalie out for her bachelorette party, so we'll probably be nursing a few hangovers."

"No doubt," I laughed. "You guys call me if you need a ride. I'm not working tomorrow night."

"Sounds good."

Bella and I chatted for a while longer before she began to yawn. We'd both had a long day and decided to call it a night.

"See ya on Sunday." Bella smiled.

A small part of me hoped that Bella would call me while she was out with the girls and needed a ride. Instead what I got was a drunk text.

_**E .. I'm a lil tipsy but I wanted to say that I like you like a lot and I hope that you'll let me get to know you. –B**_

_**Maybe we'll talk when you're not tipsy ;) –E**_

_**Promise? – B**_

_**Yes. We'll talk, but I'd prefer for you to be sober. Are you all right? Are you going to need a ride tonight? – E**_

_**We're good. Back at Rose's already. Still drinking obviously. ;) See you tomorrow. –B**_

The next morning, my mom was bustling around the kitchen making all kinds of food for the BBQ later while my dad spent the morning hosing off all the lawn furniture outside.

Chloe had come bounding into my room wanting to know if we could go out in the backyard and play soccer. I pulled on some shorts and sneakers and tugged on her ponytail.

"Come on Chloebear … let's go."

We'd been kicking the ball around the yard for a while when I noticed that we had quite an audience watching. Both my mom and dad were sitting in their chairs sipping on ice tea watching us, as was Alice and Jasper. My aunt and uncle had even showed up, saying that Emmett and Rose would be along with Katie shortly.

Apparently Rosalie had a bit of trouble getting out of bed that morning according to Alice. Bella wasn't much better off.

"Big brother, if Bella comes today, go easy on her okay? She really likes you but she's afraid that you won't let her in. She knows that you've got this wall up, hell she does too, but she wants to take a chance on you. I told her that you're worth it but she's got to be patient."

"Ali … I appreciate what you're trying to do, but just let Bella and I figure it out okay? If it makes you feel better, I like her a lot too but it's not easy … it's not just me anymore. I've got Chloe to think about now too."

After my short chat with Alice, I went back outside to find Chloe kicking the soccer ball around with Katie as Emmett and Rosalie watched with everyone else from the sidelines. But it was the brunette sitting in the swing in the far corner of the yard that had really captured my attention.

Bella.

She was sitting with her legs curled up under her, and she sat gently swinging with her eyes closed. I quickly crossed the yard and made my way toward her.

"Hey."

"Hey, yourself," she said softly.

"Did you have fun last night?"

She grimaced and slid her sunglasses down from her head onto her nose.

"A little too much fun."

I chuckled.

"Don't laugh, Cullen. I'm sure you've done the same thing a time or two in your lifespan."

"I have," I chuckled again. "But it's entertaining watching you whine about it."

"Fuck you, Cullen," she giggled.

"I think it's a little early in our relationship for that don't you think, Swan?"

Bella glared at me but didn't say a word.

"Bella … look. This isn't easy for me. Yeah, I like you. I wish it was easier for me to fall into … something … with you. Irina really hurt me, like cut me to the core. It's not something I can just forget, or a feeling I can just brush off. That's not to say that I won't ever get over it. I'm sure I will, but the wounds are still fresh and it's going to take some time. Besides, I've got Chloe to think about. She's a huge part of my life and …"

"Edward … breathe. I know it's not easy for you, I don't expect it to be. Like I said, Rose told me a little bit about your past but I asked her not to tell me much. Beyond telling me that your ex-wife is a manipulative bitch and that she cheated on you I have no idea what else went on. I know that you have a beautiful little girl as a result of that relationship and I'm okay with that. If she wasn't a huge part of your life I would think that there is something wrong with you. She's your child it's supposed to be that way. She should be your first priority and taking care of yourself should be your second. I can't fault you for that. I won't fault you for that."

"How is it that you can be so accepting of all of this, Bella?" I asked.

This beautiful woman in front of me had basically told me that she didn't care. She understood that I was a little bit damaged and only time would heal my wounds. She understood that I had baggage and she shrugged it off.

"Because I'm human, Edward. I know that people aren't perfect and that includes you and me. I've been through a lot too, and I'm not saying that it's the same pain as what you've gone through, but I do know about pain, and I'm trying, Edward. I like you too, and while I see that you're hurting and it's not easy for you to trust, I'm willing to take a chance on you."

As she spoke, I watched Chloe and Katie running around the yard chasing Emmett.

"Are you sure? I don't want to disappoint you, Bella. I think you deserve better than that. I'm not sure what part of me I can give you."

Bella reached over and touched my hand with hers. Her touch was soft and reassuring.

"I'm here, Edward. Just keep that in mind, and I'll leave the ball in your court."

I squeezed her hand gently. "Thank you."

Our quiet conversation was quickly cut short by a bouncy five year old.

"Daddy … I'm hungry and Pop-pop said I had to wait for you. Who's this?" Chloe asked, changing gears quickly.

"This, Chloebear is Miss Bella. She's a friend of Daddy's. Bella, this is my daughter, Chloe."

Bella smiled widely at my baby girl.

"Like Mommy's friend, Felix?"

I frowned. I could only imagine how she characterized _that_ relationship.

"Not exactly, baby. But I'm sure that you'll see a lot of her. She's going to be at Uncle Em's wedding, and Mom-mom and Pop-Pop are friends with Bella's mama and daddy."

"Miss Bella, will you be my friend too?" Chloe asked quietly.

"I'd love to, Chloe," Bella giggled.

Bella's giggle was amazing, such an innocent carefree sound that reminded me so much of Chloe herself. It was a sound that I relished and wouldn't mind hearing more of.

"Will you come with me and Daddy to get some hot dogs?"

Bella looked up at me questioningly and I nodded.

"Sure, sweetie. That sounds really good."

Chloe hopped off the swing and ran ahead of us to where my mom had set up all the food. Bella and I walked together toward the buffet.

"I'm sorry, Edward. I didn't mean to put you on the spot, I just didn't want to overstep any boundaries."

"No, Bella it's fine. Chloe is a lot like me, she's quiet and shy and it's not easy for her to make friends and trust people. I'm sure you've seen her running around the yard but she knows and is comfortable with everyone here, probably with the exception of you and your parents."

"That's a good thing, Edward. While I don't think kids should live in fear, they shouldn't just trust people because they're an adult. It's good that she has good instincts."

After we'd had our fill of BBQ and all the salads and goodies my mom had made, we resumed our soccer match from earlier, only this time it was Emmett, Rosalie and Katie against me, Bella and Chloe.

"Daddy! I wanna be goalie!" Chloe yelled.

Thankfully, Katie begged Emmett to be their goalie. Emmett tended to be a little rougher when the adults joined in to play.

"That's fine, baby. Just don't let them score, okay?"

"I won't, Daddy. I promise."

As it turned out, Bella was a pretty good soccer player and she was able to maneuver around Emmett to score a couple goals. Chloe cheered as even Rose high-fived Bella.

"Traitor!" Emmett hollered.

"Get over it Em!" Bella snipped. "You're just jealous because someone scored and it wasn't you."

I couldn't help the laugh that escaped me. There weren't too many people who would go head to head with Emmett. Rosalie would of course, but Em was a softie where she was concerned and he'd go easy on her more often than not. I wasn't sure that he'd afford Bella the same courtesy.

Em went to open his mouth and I just glared at him.

"I know what you're thinking, Em and don't even bother. That shit's not funny."

"Eddie …"

"Em, damnit it's not funny, okay?"

By then the sun had begun to set and it wouldn't be long before the fireworks would start over the sound. Chloe and Katie both wanted us to get out the sparklers so I handed some to each of the girls and sent them over to their pop-pop's. I grabbed a couple blankets and helped my mom and aunt with their chairs as we took them down to the bank of the sound. Once I'd spread out the blankets, I plopped down and thought about the conversation that Bella and I had earlier. I heard a soft voice beside me.

"Mind if I sit down?" Bella asked.

"Sure. I was just thinking about you, actually."

"Is that a good or bad thing?"

I chuckled.

"I was just thinking about our conversation earlier."

"Edward … I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for what I said to Emmett earlier. I just didn't think about it and how he could reply to it."

"Bella … it's fine. I don't want you to feel like you have to walk on eggshells around me thinking that every little thing is going to get under my skin. If the girls weren't there, I wouldn't have stopped Emmett. Chloe's just too inquisitive. Em tends to forget about that and lets his lack of verbal filter run away with him."

"She's beautiful, Edward and so very smart, especially for a five year old."

"Thank you. I'd like to take credit for that, but I can't. She's got my hair, eyes, quiet demeanor, and a little bit of my brains, but the rest is all Irina."

"Oh, Edward. I think there's a little bit more of you in her than you think." Bella smiled.

Eventually, Chloe came over and sat down between us, taking our hands in hers and grinning the entire time.

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><p><strong>AN: So I gave you guys a reprieve from Irina, but she'll be back! I just love quality time with Daddyward don't you? I think I just love guys who dote over their kids ... period hehe. As always, I'd love to hear what you think so leave me a review! =)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Twilight belongs to the ridiculously talented Stephenie Meyer.**

**A Father's Hope belongs to me.**

**A HUGE thanks to twimom817 for beta'ing. This wouldn't be nearly as pretty without her.**

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><p><strong>Chapter Six<strong>

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><p>"Nervous?"<p>

"Nah, Ed. I'm good. I just hope Rosie's okay. I know Bella's with her, but still. I want everything to go smoothly for her today."

It was Emmett and Rosalie's wedding day, and we'd all traveled to a country club just north of Seattle for the nuptials. Rose loved it because she said it looked like it was right out of a Thomas Kinkcade painting.

My job was to make sure that Emmett was dressed and ready to go by four and to make sure that he stayed calm – and sober.

Chloe stayed with Alice who was with Rosalie and Bella. Since the Fourth of July BBQ at my parent's house, Bella was all Chloe could talk about. When I asked her why her reply was:

"Cuz Katie loves Miss Bella too. Katie says that Miss Bella comes over sometimes and hangs out with her and Aunt Rose, and sometimes they go shopping and watch movies. Miss Bella says her favorite movie is Sleeping Beauty just like mine! Though I think her favorite should be Beauty and the Beast because she's so pretty like Belle and their names sound the same."

I couldn't help but chuckle when Chloe barely stopped to take a breath.

"Are you gonna ask Bella to dance tonight?" Emmett asked, breaking me from my daydreams.

"I don't know, Em. I like her, but while Chloe's around I think I'd rather keep my distance. Chloe's already asking too many questions as it is, and I don't want her to go home to Irina and say more than she already probably will. I don't want to give Irina the ammunition in court."

"Damnit, Eddie. Don't push her away. I know you and she's perfect for you if you'd just get to know her. As far as Irina, I wouldn't worry too much about her. You've got everyone in the family to vouch for you as a character witness. She brought another man into YOUR home while you were serving overseas. She was in the wrong, Eddie not you and nothing that Chloe could tell her could paint you in a bad light. You've spent the last how many months getting your shit together? You went to the academy, you graduated and you're starting the detective program in September. So what if you still live with your parents? It works for you right now and it won't always be that way."

"I know. I've been saving and I've got my inheritance, and I'm thinking about buying a place in the spring. It's just that … fuck … I've got Irina making threats and telling me that she's going to sue for sole custody. I can't allow that, Em. It would kill me and it would damn well kill Chloe. Sometimes … sometimes I just can't help the feeling that I failed as a husband. I couldn't make her happy and she ran into the arms of another man. She never fails to rub in the fact that she thinks Chloe is completely my fault. _I _got her pregnant, _I _made her have the baby. Chloe is the best part of me and I'll be damned if I let Irina take that away from me."

"Fuck … Eddie. How long has she been filling your head with that shit?"

I didn't have a chance to answer him because there was a timid knock at the door. Emmett bellowed for whoever it was to come in and just as I turned around I saw Bella and Chloe enter, their hands covering their eyes.

"Is everyone decent?" Bella giggled.

She looked beautiful wearing a floor length, sage green strapless gown; her hair delicately curled and pinned up at the top of her head to cascade down on one side. Chloe stood in front of her wearing a sage green and white sundress; her hair curled and pulled away from her sweet little face.

"We're decent," Emmett chuckled. "At least I am anyway, Eddie here is a mess."

"What's wrong, Daddy?" Chloe asked, immediately running into my arms.

I glared at Emmett before my gaze returned to Bella and then the little girl in my arms.

"Nothing's wrong with daddy, Chloebear. Uncle Em's just trying to be funny. But you … you look so very pretty. Did Auntie Alice fix your hair?"

"Uh huh. She did Miss Bella's too. Doesn't she look pretty, Daddy?"

"Miss Bella looks more than pretty, baby. Miss Bella looks beautiful."

Bella blushed as my gaze returned to her and I winked at her.

"Thanks, I think. Rose asked us to peek in on you guys and see how things were going?"

"We're doing just fine. Is Rose okay?" Emmett asked.

"She's getting a bit antsy but overall, she's okay," Bella replied.

"How's Katie?" Emmett asked quietly.

"She's with her Aunt Lauren. They were having a little 'chat'."

"Oh boy," Emmett chuckled.

At ten to four, Uncle Peter summoned all the guys downstairs. We made our way to the front of the large gazebo where Em and Rose would stand and all of us would stand beside them. Shortly after we took our places, the girls began to walk down the aisle. First came Alice then Lauren and finally Bella. I wasn't lying when I said she was beautiful earlier. Her smile was radiant as she walked down the short aisle carrying a bouquet of white calla lilies. She looked over at me briefly and winked.

The ceremony was short but sweet. The nicest thing about it was that they opted to include Katie and together they poured three colors of sand into one jar signifying the unifying of their family. It was a very touching moment for them all, and I caught Emmett wiping away a tear or two. While this was going on, I glanced over at Bella just to see her wiping tears from her own eyes and bending down to explain to Chloe what was going on.

Later that evening, after the food and champagne had been consumed and the dancing had commenced, Chloe came over and snuggled into my lap.

"Daddy?"

"Hmm?"

"If you and Miss Bella get married, can we do the sand thing like Aunt Rose, Uncle Em and Katie?"

"Chloebear … what makes you think that Miss Bella and I would get married?"

"Because you should. Miss Bella makes you smile. I saw you smile at her today. It's okay, Daddy. Miss Bella is pretty and nice. She kinda reminds me of an angel. You should dance with her. If you ask her, I bet she'd say yes."

Chloe quickly climbed down from my lap and went in search of Katie. I hadn't expected her questions at all, and I sat there for a few moments stunned over the conversation I'd just had with my daughter.

"Chloe's right you know," my mother said softly, sitting in the chair behind me.

"Right about what?"

"The fact that Bella makes you smile. She does and you have such a handsome smile, Edward. Since Irina you don't wear it very much and that makes my heart hurt. I know you're not happy, sweetheart. You need someone in your life besides Chloe."

"Oh not you, too. Mom, Chloe is my life. Right now I don't need any more complications."

"Edward, Bella wouldn't be a complication. She's not Irina, sweetheart. You have to move past her and realize that not all women are manipulative and adulterous. Some women are good – very good. You just need to open your heart and let her in."

"So why didn't you introduce me to her years ago? Why now?"

"Because you two weren't ready for each other years ago. Edward, we've known Charlie and Renee for years. We've known Bella for years. She's gone through some things in her life that you couldn't imagine. She's not the same little girl we knew. She's better and stronger. Sometimes, we have to make mistakes. Then we have to learn from them and what we learn makes us stronger."

"Mom, I have to protect Chloe."

"Don't, Edward. Don't use Chloe as an excuse not to get to know Bella. It's not fair to either of them and it's certainly not fair to you."

My mom kissed the top of my head and made her way back to the table she'd been sharing with my dad, aunt and uncle. I hung my head in my hands for a few moments when I felt a soft hand on my shoulder.

"Long day?" A sweet voice asked.

I looked up to see Bella standing next to me.

"Yeah … you could say that," I chuckled.

"Want to talk about it?" Bella asked with a concerned look.

"Not particularly. Would you … like to dance with me?"

"I'd love to," Bella giggled.

I pulled Bella into my arms as the strains of _The Way You Look Tonight_ floated through the speakers.

"God, Edward. Could you have picked a sappier song to dance to?" Bella giggled again.

"Sorry … I can't control the deejay. But you do look beautiful tonight." I smiled.

"Aww thank you, and you look devastatingly handsome, Edward."

"I do?" I asked a little surprised at her comment.

"Mmmhmm. Especially now that you're smiling. You should wear it more often, it looks good on you."

"I think you bring it out in me."

"Edward …" Bella breathed.

"What is it?" I asked, meeting her soulful eyes with mine.

"Sometimes you say and do the sweetest things. It could be so easy to fall for you until your wall goes back up and you shut everyone out."

"Are you falling for me?" I asked softly.

"I could if you gave me the opportunity, but I don't want to get hurt, Edward. I'm not sure I could handle it," she whispered.

"I don't want to hurt you, Bella," I whispered softly into her ear.

I pulled her closer and we continued to sway as the song changed to _I Can Love You Like That_. I nuzzled into the warm skin below her ear and breathed her in, her perfume completely surrounding me. I realized then how perfect Bella felt in my arms and I wanted to keep her there and protect her from whatever it was that had hurt her, but most of all I wanted to protect her from me.

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><p><strong>AN: See! You can have a wedding without family drama!**

**Thank you to each and every one of you who has left a review for me, I appreciate them more than you know. Obviously I'm a total fail thus far at replying to them, but it's not because I don't want to. I just need a few extra hours in the day. = )**

**Y'all will be getting Chapter 7 later today because I won't be around to post tomorrow. If Disneyland only had WiFi ... hehe**


	8. Chapter 8

**Twilight belongs to the ridiculously talented Stephenie Meyer.**

**A Father's Hope belongs to me.**

**A HUGE thanks to twimom817 for beta'ing. This wouldn't be nearly as pretty without her.**

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><p><strong>Chapter Seven<strong>

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><p>The weekend after the wedding, I made plans with Bella to take her and Chloe to the beach. The weather was sunny and warm, and I knew the three of us would welcome the getaway.<p>

"Can we build sandcastles, Daddy?"

"We sure can, Chloebear. Did you grab your floaties? They're in the hall closet upstairs."

Bella and I had talked on the phone nearly every night since the wedding. Thankfully I'd been put on days at work until I started the detective program in September, but it meant a lot of paperwork. It seemed like all I did all day long was finish up reports and enter them in the computer. Talking with Bella in the evenings was a refreshing end to a boring day.

That's not to say that I didn't enjoy seeing Chloe fly out the door to welcome me home every evening because I did. It was something that I cherished and I realized that I'd miss it when she wasn't there. I had less than a month with her.

When I talked to Bella about it that night, she was very supportive much to my surprise.

"Edward … I don't mind waiting until Chloe goes back to California to spend time with you. I'm not saying that I don't want to spend time with her because I do, but I understand that it's important for the two of you to spend time together."

"Thank you for the offer, Bella but she'd be upset if she didn't get to spend time with you too. Sometimes you're all she talks about. Chloe adores you and I kinda have to admit that I'm not far behind her," I chuckled.

"I told you she was a smart little girl," Bella giggled.

So we made a deal that weeknights were reserved for Chloe and me, and on the weekends if Bella was up to it they were reserved for the three of us.

Chloe had begged and begged to go to the beach although I'm sure the beaches in Southern California were far superior to the cold, rocky beaches of the Pacific Northwest.

At first, Bella tried to beg out of going with us saying that the beach was relaxing but not one of her favorite places. Then she said she didn't want to go because we'd decided to make it an overnight trip and she didn't want to impose on both of my days off with Chloe.

But with both Chloe and I giving her puppy dog eyes and telling her that we'd cry if she didn't go, she finally caved and kissed both of our cheeks telling us that we were irresistible.

Something should have told me there was something bigger going on with Bella than merely not wanting to go to the beach. When we arrived in Ocean City, she took Chloe and they went into the bathroom at the hotel while I checked us in. Once we'd dropped our things off in our room and got changed into our beach attire; me in my t-shirt and board shorts; Chloe in her swimsuit and cover-up. We sat and waited while Bella changed and she emerged wearing a pair of gray yoga pants and a form fitting tank top with her blue bikini top underneath.

"No shorts?" I asked playfully.

"Umm, not really," she said nervously.

"Bella … are you okay?" I asked, concerned.

"Yup," she replied before turning to Chloe. "Ready to hit the beach, kiddo?"

Chloe charged the door in excitement as I grabbed our beach towels and Chloe's beach toys.

Once we were down on the beach, Chloe made some friends with Bella's help and began to make sandcastles with them while Bella and I settled into our chairs and I adjusted the umbrella.

"Are you sure you're okay?" I asked Bella quietly.

"I'm perfect, Edward. Thank you for inviting me."

Bella's gratitude was sincere, but she didn't meet my eyes when she spoke. That wasn't at all like her but I decided not to question her again right away. I'd ask her later after Chloe was asleep.

For most of the afternoon, Bella and I played in the sand with Chloe, building sandcastles, tearing them down and then starting all over again.

"Let's go down to the water now!" Chloe said excitedly.

Bella looked a little bit leery of the idea but agreed none the less, and moments later we found ourselves walking in the surf swinging Chloe between us. Both of my girls laughing as we went. At one point they thought it would be funny to gang up on me and tickle me, pushing me down into the damp sand as they went. I tickled back with all that I had but they were no match for me and I finally had to cry uncle.

I tossed Chloe over my shoulder and we marched back up the beach to pack up our things for the day.

We took our time cleaning up after being out in the sand all day, but Bella was breathtaking when she emerged from the bathroom wearing a tight pair of dark skinny jeans and a black tank top with a lace jacket over it. On her little feet, she wore a pair of black lace ballet flats.

Chloe was dressed in a lavender sundress and she wore a pair of white shoes similar to Bella's.

"Look, Daddy! My shoes are just like Bella's!" Chloe said excitedly.

"I see that, baby girl. You look beautiful just like Bella too," I chuckled.

I reached out for Bella's hand and I led my girls out of our room.

That night, I took them out for seafood. Chloe of course, turned her nose up at it but Bella was thrilled. Dinner was relaxing. There was good conversation and even better company.

"So, Chloe … your daddy tells me that you're going to be starting Kindergarten next month," Bella began.

"Uh huh. I'll be bigged enough to go this year. I was too small last year."

"Aww, it happens Chloe. But it's so exciting that you'll finally get to go. Do you know what you'll do in Kindergarten?"

"Mom-mom says they'll teach me my a b c's but I already knowed em. She said they'll teach me how to write my name too, but I knowed that too. I just wanna do art and draw pictures for my mommy and daddy."

"You're so smart, Chloebear," I said, leaning over to kiss her temple.

"I love you, baby girl," I whispered.

"Love you too, Daddy. Do I really haveta go back to California and go to Kindergarten? Cuz I could just stay here with you and Bella and draw pictures. We could mail em to Mommy."

Bella looked at me sadly knowing that it would kill me to let Chloe go in a couple weeks.

"Mommy would miss you an awful lot, Chloebear. Besides, you've been here all summer, don't you want to spend a little time with Mommy?"

Chloe was off in her own little world after that. Bella slipped her warm hand into mine and squeezed it gently, a small reminder not to push it with Chloe.

That night, after Chloe had fallen asleep, Bella and I took a bottle of wine and went out on the deck. It was warm out and the sky was still tinged with the pastel colors of the sunset.

"Bella?"

"Hmm?"

"Something's wrong. I know I asked you about it earlier today and you said you were perfect, but you didn't meet my eyes and that's not like you. Did I do something wrong or …"

"No, Edward. You did nothing wrong. It's nothing like that."

"So what is it, Bella? Did you really not want to come with us this weekend?"

Bella looked away from me and exhaled heavily.

"Please, Edward … we've had such a nice day. Just let it go."

"Bella … you asked me to let you in and I'm trying. The door swings both ways, you have to let me in too or we won't work."

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><p><strong>AN: A little cliffie, I know. But maybe just *maybe* if I can manage to get in gear before we head off to Disney I'll give ya a bonus tomorrow. Any theories as to what's up with Bella?**

**Just so ya know ... I have the best readers = ) Thank y'all for joining me on this little journey.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Twilight belongs to the ridiculously talented Stephenie Meyer.**

**A Father's Hope belongs to me.**

**A HUGE thanks to twimom817 for beta'ing. This wouldn't be nearly as pretty without her.**

**I have to apologize ahead of time … I actually never intended for the last chapter to be a cliffie … but as trusting as I am of myself (which apparently I shouldn't be lol) I didn't think twice about checking it against this chapter. I didn't realize that a good part of the chapter was missing. A HUGE thanks to darcysmom as well for reading over Bella's story and assuring me that my re-write worked.**

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><p><strong>Chapter Eight<strong>

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><p>"There's something I want to show you, Edward," Bella said softly as she rose from her chair taking my hand and leading me into the bathroom.<p>

She pushed me down on the closed toilet lid and took a deep breath. Bella backed away from me and reached to unbutton and unzip her jeans.

"Bella …"

"You need to see this, Edward. You need to understand why."

She pushed her jeans down to reveal raised, angry pink scars against her beautiful pale skin. They ran from mid-thigh to mid-shin. I kneeled down in front of her and gently caressed her skin. I kept my eyes on her face waiting to see what her reaction would be. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly as a few tears slid down her perfect face. I peppered soft kisses along the scars on both of her legs before tugging her jeans up.

I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her to my chest as she sobbed lightly against my shirt. I gently rubbed her back in circles hoping it was soothing to her.

"Those scars don't define who you are, Bella. They certainly don't make you any less beautiful. In fact, I think they make you more beautiful, if that's even possible," I whispered softly.

She took another deep breath and began her story.

"I was nineteen when I got engaged. Jake was my best friend and the love of my life. He had taken me out to dinner to this really nice restaurant, then he took me to the sculpture park and that's where he proposed. We were so happy and couldn't wait to get home to tell our parents.

We never saw the car coming at us. Jake only looked over at me for a few seconds. He picked up my hand and kissed my ring telling me he was so happy I said yes. After that all I remember was the sound of a blaring horn, the screech of tires and metal on metal. They had to use the Jaws of Life to get me out. The paramedics told me that Jake died on impact. My kneecaps were shattered and part of my left femur was broken. I had a few broken ribs and a punctured lung. Bruises, cuts, and scrapes covered pretty much my entire body. But the pain – the pain of my injuries was nothing compared to losing Jake. My injuries I'd recover from, but I wasn't so sure I'd ever recover from a broken heart."

Bella was upset after telling me her own story, so we sat together on a lounge chair on the balcony, my arms wrapped around her while I told her mine. I found that her presence was soothing to me and my touch seemed to be calming to her.

I spoke for what seemed like forever. Not skimming over any of the details, I told her about every argument and every fight that Irina and I ever had. I told her how we'd met and how quickly I'd fallen in love. I told her exactly how I felt the moment they placed Chloe in my arms the day she was born - the day I became a dad. I told her how devastated and heartbroken I'd felt when Irina admitted that she was having an affair and how betrayed I'd felt that she had brought him into what I thought was our loving home. Irina had lied to me and I had a hard time coming to terms with the loss of her. Although we hadn't been getting along very well those last few months I was in Iraq, I still loved her; she was still my wife.

"I'm so sorry, Edward," Bella said softly. "I can understand why you're so closed off."

"It's absolutely silly compared to what you went through, Bella. It makes me feel like I've acted like a complete asshole."

"No, no, no. Edward … shhh … don't say that. Everyone deals with grief in their own way. There is no right or wrong."

I stayed quiet for a few minutes as I let what she'd said sink in. At first I didn't agree that it was grief, but the more I thought about it – it was. I was grieving the end of my marriage; the end of my first serious relationship; the fact that Irina wasn't mine anymore. Bella stayed right there beside me, rubbing gentle circles on my back – just as I'd done for her earlier.

When I glanced over at her, I saw nothing but understanding in her beautiful brown eyes. She shivered as the air had become a bit cooler as we talked and snuggled into me a bit further.

"Come on, beautiful. Let's go inside."

"I'm kind of enjoying being this close to you, Edward," she said shyly.

"I like it too," I breathed. "But come on, it's getting too chilly for you, I think."

As much as I liked being close to Bella, she seemed chilly and I really didn't want to chance her catching a cold. She reluctantly agreed and followed me inside. I checked on Chloe while Bella was in the bathroom, and I quickly changed into pajama pants and a t-shirt. I laid down on the other bed and waited for Bella to come out. When she did she was wearing a pair of Tinkerbell pajama pants and her tank top read 'I don't do mornings'. She looked adorable.

"Come here," I said, motioning for her to join me.

"What about Chloe?" Bella asked softly.

"She's fine, Bella."

Hesitantly, she laid down on the bed beside me, her hand reaching out and settling on my chest. I laid my hand on her waist and pulled her closer.

"You're afraid it will happen again …" Bella said softly.

I nodded. "Yes. Just the thought of going through that again scares the shit out of me."

"I can imagine. I went through a phase like that. Your type of situation is more likely to repeat itself than mine, unfortunately. It took a few months of therapy for me to realize that."

"You're so strong, Bella. You've been through so much. I'm sure your recovery process wasn't easy let alone coming to terms that he's … gone."

"No, it wasn't. Eventually I realized that Jake wouldn't want me to live my life that way. He'd want me to be happy and vibrant like I was when I was with him. He wouldn't want me to fold in on myself and hide from the world. Jake would want me to find someone I love and who treats me right. I had to want to move on if I wanted to recover. I needed to recover to move on; so I had to find a way to do both. I pushed myself physically and mentally. It was hard, but I think I'm a better person because of it."

"I want to deserve someone like you …" I said softly.

"What makes you think you're undeserving?" Bella asked.

"I don't know that I could make you happy, Bella. I might be able to, but I don't know if I could keep you that way. I wouldn't want to fail you, Bella."

"Oh, Edward …" Bella crooned, cupping my face in her hands. "You could only fail me if you didn't try."

I covered her hand with my own and leaned into her touch.

"Bella … I think I want to try … for you."

Bella leaned into me and gently pressed her lips against mine. I kissed her back and it was sweet and soft and filled with promise.

She sighed when I pulled away.

"Sorry," I apologized. "It would be so easy to get carried away with you."

Bella blushed beautifully as I ran my hand up her arm.

"Can we stay like this just a little longer though?" Bella asked softly.

"Are you okay?"

"Mmmhmm. You're just warm and comfy, that's all."

I chuckled as I gently kissed her temple and watched as her eyes slid closed. When I was sure she was deeply asleep, I rose up from the bed and gently lifted Bella so I could pull the blankets up over her. I tucked them in securely around her before silently slipping into bed with Chloe.

My dreams that night were riddled with a broken and grief-stricken Bella. The vision of her devastated facial expressions made my heart hurt so badly I jerked up in bed. I looked over to Bella's bed and I heard a whimper.

"Edward …" Bella cried.

I was immediately out of bed and by her side.

"Bella … hey, I'm right here, beautiful. You're having a bad dream," I said softly.

Tears were streaming down her face, and she wiped at them as she slowly woke up.

"Edward?"

"I'm right here, Bella."

"I just had the most awful dream."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I dreamt that you walked away from me. I showed you my scars and you walked away," she sobbed.

"I'm right here, Bella. I'm not going anywhere."

The next morning, I woke up with my arms still wrapped around Bella and an excited Chloe bouncing on the bed behind me.

"Daddy!"

"Shhh, Chloe. Bella's still sleeping."

"Why are you in Bella's bed, Daddy?"

"Because Bella had a bad dream, baby. She was upset and needed a hug and then I fell back to sleep. I'm sorry, Chloebear."

"That's okay, Daddy. Cuz you give the bestest hugs."

I chuckled.

"Mmm … yes he does," Bella giggled beside me.

We had breakfast and checked out of the hotel before heading back down to the beach. I made sure Bella was okay with it before we did so, but even if she wasn't she would have endured it for Chloe and me. Chloe fell asleep on the ride home and Bella and I chatted quietly in the front seat about everything and anything. I told her how I hated that my summer with Chloe was coming to an end and that I'd soon have to make the trip to California to return her to Irina.

"She'll be back for Christmas right?" Bella asked.

"I hope so. I hope there isn't another fiasco like last year. I'd prefer not to repeat that."

Two weeks later, I found myself talking to Bella on the phone the night before I had to return with Chloe to California. Chloe had long since been tucked into bed, and I was looking forward to taking Bella out on an official "date" as soon as I got home.

"Have a safe flight, and I'll meet you at baggage claim," Bella promised.

"You don't have to pick me up you know," I reminded her.

"I know, but I want to. I haven't seen you in two weeks, Edward. I kinda miss you."

"I kinda miss you too, Bella," I chuckled.

Irina barely said ten words to me when she met us at the airport to pick up Chloe. She glared at me and said "See you at Christmas, Edward."

I swept Chloe up a huge bear hug and kissed her on the cheek.

"Be a good girl for mommy, okay?"

"Okay," she nodded.

"Remember, Chloebear, you can call me anytime you want, okay? If you wake up with a bad dream or something, you can call me. I love you so much, baby girl."

"I love you too, Daddy. I love Miss Bella, too. Will you tell her?" Chloe asked.

"I will," I chuckled.

I watched as Irina and Chloe walked away and I heard Irina ask, "Who's Bella?"

I knew exactly what Chloe would tell her.

I couldn't wait to get off that damn plane when I arrived back in Washington. Two back to back three hour flights with a two hour layover in the middle was not my idea of a fun day. Thankfully I didn't have to worry about luggage, just a carry on backpack that my mom had helped pack with things for Chloe to do on the plane and a book for me to read.

When I saw Bella standing there waiting for me in baggage claim, my heart jumped a little. She had a beautiful smile on her face and held out her hand as I got closer to her. I sweetly kissed her cheek, making her giggle.

"Hey, handsome."

"Hey yourself."

Bella drove us to downtown Seattle and we went to the Pike Place Market. We walked along all the shops talking and enjoying each other's company for a while before we finally settled on a place to eat dinner.

"So you're starting the detective program in a couple weeks, right?" Bella asked.

"Yeah. I'm really excited about it, actually."

I watched her carefully as her face fell just a bit.

"Bella … what is it?"

"I just hoped that maybe we'd see each other a little more that's all. I know you needed to spend time with Chloe. I'm just being selfish I guess."

"No … I hope that we'll get to see each other more too. I just need to get settled into this new program and then we'll figure things out, okay?"

Before I knew it, I was a month into the detective program and things with Bella and I were progressing. I still rarely saw her during the week because I had so much homework I felt like I'd never surface, but the weekends we were rarely apart. She lived in a nice little apartment not far from where she worked and that's where I usually spent my weekends.

The first time she invited me over, she made an amazing dinner of grilled salmon, baked potato and broiled asparagus.

"My mom always said the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Jake hated fish and seafood so I'm really glad that you liked it," she said after I'd told her how good it was.

We sat out on her deck enjoying a nice autumn evening before she asked if we could go inside and watch a movie. I grabbed the bottle of wine we'd brought with us and followed her in. The movie hadn't been playing for very long when I fell asleep.

"Come on, handsome. Let's get you to bed," she said softly.

"Bella … God, I'm sorry," I apologized.

"It's fine, Edward. Will you stay?"

"Do you want me to stay?" I asked.

"Yes," she whispered.

The next morning, I woke up with Bella in my arms and it was the most incredible feeling. We hadn't done anything more than kiss and snuggle, I still wasn't ready to offer her more than that and she seemed perfectly okay with it.

Bella's birthday fell on the second Saturday in September. Her mom, Renee called and invited me over for dinner that evening. I'd spent the night before over at Bella's after Em and Rose and I had taken her out for dinner and drinks. We were a little hung over the morning of her birthday, and we spent a lazy morning in bed, kissing and tickling each other. Our tickles turned into touches and touches turned into caresses.

"Edward …" Bella breathed.

I smiled at the huskiness of her voice and lifted her thin tank top just enough to place a soft kiss above her belly button before tugging her shirt back down.

She ran her fingers through my hair, gently scratching my scalp before cupping my face and bending down to kiss me on the lips.

"I want you, Edward," she whispered.

"I want you too, Bella. I just need a little more time. I'm trying, I promise."

"I know you are, Edward. I'm not pushing you; I just wanted you to know."

I also needed to know if she really wanted me and just not a replacement for Jake. I'd gotten to know her pretty well over the last couple months, but there were a few things that I just needed reassurance on.

Bella's birthday dinner with her parents was actually a lot of fun. I got along great with her mom and dad. Charlie of course was a retired cop just like my dad, and he was a fountain of information and stories. Bella actually had to come in and drag me away at one point just so we could go home. I thanked her parents profusely for having me and they told me I was welcome any time. Charlie told me if I needed help with my detective stuff to give him a call.

"They love you," Bella giggled.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. Couldn't you tell? Charlie didn't threaten you once."

"That could have been luck on my part," I chuckled.

"Not hardly, Cullen."

The weeks after that got a bit trickier. It was like it was when Chloe was there. I'd only get to talk to Bella in the evenings before I fell into bed, and we'd only get to see each other on weekends.

By Halloween, we'd been dating for almost three months. Things with Bella had gotten a little heavier in the bedroom, but I still hadn't made love to her yet. I wanted to, and I know she was well past want, but I just found myself hesitating.

She asked me if I'd come over and keep her company while she was handing out candy. It was a Friday night and a pretty bad storm was predicted to hit Seattle. She told me she didn't like to be alone on Halloween and explained that usually she hung out with Rose, but since Rose was with Katie and Emmett was out on patrol, she was flying solo.

"Bella, it's okay," I reassured her.

I sat on her couch flipping through the channels and drinking a beer as she gave out candy. When all the candy was gone, she came and curled up beside me. We'd just settled in with a movie when a large clap of thunder hit and the apartment went dark.

"Shit!" Bella gasped as she reached over and grasped onto my shirt.

"I'm right here, Bella," I said wrapping my arms around her.

"I know, but that doesn't mean that didn't scare me. It's fucking dark in here."

"Do you have some candles or something?" I asked.

"Mmmhmm … there's one lit on the kitchen table. Let's go get it and take it into the bedroom. I don't think the electricity will be back on any time soon."

I held Bella's hand tightly as we made our way through the dark apartment - the only light coming from the candle on the table. I let go of Bella's hand and she picked the candle up.

"I'll follow you, beautiful."

Bella's face was beautiful in the candlelight. The glow of the flame reflected in her deep brown eyes. A loud rumble of thunder shook the apartment again, and Bella quickly put down the candle and flew into my arms. I could feel the goose bumps on her skin through the thin fabric of her shirt.

"Bella?"

"I hate storms. They scare the shit out of me."

"Hey," I said softly. "I'm here, Bella and I'm not going anywhere."

She shivered in my arms and I tightened my grip on her small frame.

"Let's crawl into bed, shall we? It's going to get cold in here without the heater on."

Bella nodded against my chest and I walked us over to the bed, settling in and pulling the covers up as far as they'd go. She snuggled in close beside me, her head on my chest and her arm resting across my stomach.

"I'm really glad that you're here," she whispered.

"Where else would I be?" I asked softly as I reached down to kiss her head.

Bella looked up at me in the darkness and brushed her warm lips across mine. My tongue darted out as if of its own volition against her lower lip, she immediately met my tongue with hers, tangling them together. Her hand grasped my shirt at my waist as I slid my hand up the back of her shirt, resting my hand at the small of her back but holding her firmly to me. My other hand slid up her arm to the warm skin of her neck, cupping her face as I kissed her.

"Edward …" she whimpered. "Touch me … please?"

I ghosted my hand down her chest, reaching under her shirt. Our kisses became more forceful and our touches became a little more desperate as she gave up holding back and began to touch me back. Hands and lips were everywhere as we removed each other's clothes, tossing them onto the floor. The feeling of her soft, silky skin against mine made me feel greedy; needing more. Bella whimpered with her own need and I slowly sheathed myself in her warmth; the feeling of home surrounding me.

"I love you, Bella," I breathed against her heated skin.

"Oh, God, Edward. I love you, too. So much."

The next morning, I woke up with Bella warm in my arms. Her hair splayed across the pillow and her arm across my chest. I hadn't felt that happy or content in a very long time. I snuggled into her as I thought about how much Bella had really come to mean to me, and I knew she meant a lot to Chloe. I had just drifted back to sleep when a shrill ringing came from the bedside table. I hated to answer and wake Bella, but it was Chloe and I couldn't ignore her when she called.

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><p><strong>AN: A couple of you were spot on about Bella's scars! Again, I apologize for the mishap, BUT … Chapter 9 is good to go as are the rest. No more missing pieces.**

**Review for me – I can't wait to see what y'all think!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Twilight belongs to the ridiculously talented Stephenie Meyer.**

**A Father's Hope belongs to me.**

**A HUGE thanks to twimom817 for beta'ing. This wouldn't be nearly as pretty without her.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Nine<strong>

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><p>The second weekend in November, I flew down to California for Chloe's birthday. Irina was having a party for her at the Rainforest Café and Chloe begged me to come. I hadn't spent a birthday with her in a couple years, and it felt good to be able to take a weekend and spend it with my daughter. I asked Bella if she wanted to come with me, but she declined saying it would just add fuel to Irina's fire and she didn't want that for Chloe's birthday.<p>

Chloe had told Irina all about Bella when she got home after being with me all summer. Irina was pissed of course, telling me I had no right to bring dates around Chloe. I fought back reminding her that she brought Felix around Chloe without my permission.

"Besides, Bella is a friend of Emmett's and she was the maid of honor at their wedding which Chloe was a part of so it's not like she wouldn't have met her anyway. My parents have been friends with Bella's parents for a long time too – it was only a matter of time before Chloe and Bella's paths crossed. Does it really bother you to know that I've moved on and Chloe happens to like her?"

"Edward, I don't want women I don't know around my daughter!"

"I could say the same thing, Irina. Not that it matters much to you, but I won't allow you to demand that of me when you don't extend me the same courtesy."

That went over like a lead balloon.

I was so angry with Irina I couldn't stand it. Bella tried to calm me down, but I just ended up ending the call because I didn't want to take it out on her. She promised to come by later that week with a gift that she'd bought especially for Chloe.

"Are you okay?" Bella asked when she'd come by.

I was in my room packing and getting ready to head out the next morning. She sat down on my bed, playing with a bear Chloe had given me that I kept on my bed.

"Yeah. I'm just angry at Irina and her damn double standards."

"Edward … she's probably just doing it to get a rise out of you. Don't let her do that. She's also probably jealous that Chloe has another female figure in her life."

"Yeah, a better one than her own mother," I huffed.

"Bella, I'm sorry about this weekend. I really would have loved for you to have come with me. Chloe would have loved for you to be there."

"I know, Edward. I would love to go, but I don't want to cause more problems with Irina than I already have. I want Chloe to have a wonderful birthday party and I just think it's better if I stay here. After you graduate from the detective program, we'll plan on going down there for a weekend. We can take Chloe to Disneyland or something and it'll just be the three of us all weekend, okay?"

"That sounds fan-fucking-tastic. Chloe would love that and so would I."

"I thought so," Bella giggled.

A few hours later, I walked Bella out to her car.

"Wish her happy birthday for me, will you?" Bella asked quietly.

I placed my hands on her hips and pulled her toward me.

"You know I will. I'll miss you this weekend," I murmured into her neck as I breathed in her scent one last time.

"I'll miss you too, Edward. Have a good time with Chloe, but hurry back, okay?"

I pressed my lips against hers, ghosting my tongue along her lower lip. She opened her lips enough to grant me entrance and I slipped my tongue inside tangling it with hers. I slipped my hand under her sweatshirt and found the soft skin of her lower back. Bella was the first to break our kiss.

"Are you sure you can't come to my place? I'll drive you to the airport in the morning," Bella breathed.

After making love to Bella for the first time, I found that there wasn't anything I wasn't willing to give her. In a little over a week she'd become so much more to me. I wouldn't say she was everything just yet, but she had the potential to be.

"Bella …" I breathed. "I want to but I really … oh fuck it. Let me run in and grab my bag and let my parents know. Does this mean that you'll pick me up on Sunday evening too?"

"No … my offer was only to drop you off. You'll have to walk home," she giggled. "Yes, Edward! Of course I'll pick you up."

Her smile was gorgeous as she giggled at me. I couldn't help but press my lips against hers once more before disappearing into the house to grab my things and a pair of pajamas.

"Going to Bella's tonight, Son?" My father asked from the doorway.

"Yeah. Sorry."

"Don't apologize, Son. Bella's done you a world of good since you started seeing her. She's a strong and wonderful young woman. Your mom and I are so happy that you've found each other."

"Thanks, Dad. See you guys Sunday night?"

"Yup. Give my granddaughter a kiss for me and your mom and tell her we love her."

"I will."

I definitely made the right decision in staying at Bella's that night. I hadn't seen her really since the previous Saturday and I hadn't really talked to her because of the whole blow up with Irina. I'd sadly and unintentionally neglected my girlfriend. What started out as innocent kissing on the couch turned into a hot and heavy make out session before we made our way to the bedroom, falling into each other on the bed. I made love to her softly and slowly that night, tracing my fingers all over her beautiful body if only to ingrain the feel of her into my memory.

Sated and happy, I pulled her back to my chest and kissed her shoulder.

"I love you, Bella," I whispered.

"I love you too, Edward."

The next morning when I arrived in California, my heart hurt at the thought of being so far from Bella, but when I saw Chloe the hurt subsided a little.

"Where's Bella?" Chloe asked.

"She couldn't come this time, Chloebear," I explained. "But after I finish my classes, I promise that Bella and I will come down and spend an entire weekend with you. How does that sound?"

Chloe's face lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Really, Daddy?"

"Really, baby."

Irina was mostly cordial to me during my stay. I did notice that Felix was conveniently not at the birthday party which I was grateful for. I had been lucky as of yet to have not met him, and it wasn't something I was looking forward to.

My weekend with Chloe was way too short, but I knew that I'd be seeing Chloe in just over a month for Christmas. After promising her that I'd give Bella a big hug and a kiss as a thank you for her birthday gift, I kissed my daughter and got in my rental car to leave.

Bella was waiting for me at the baggage claim at Sea-Tac as promised. The smile on her face was bright and happy.

"Hey you," she breathed as I pulled her into my arms. "How was Chloe?"

I kissed her sweetly before releasing her.

"She's good. Looking forward to Christmas," I replied.

I leaned down and hugged her again before kissing her.

"That was from Chloe," I chuckled. "She loved the doll you sent her."

"I'm sure it was nothing compared to getting to spend the weekend with her dad."

"I don't know if I'd go that far," I chuckled.

The rest of November went by quickly. Thankfully, Bella and I didn't have to choose between houses or split up our time because my mom solved the problem for us by inviting Renee and Charlie over. Chloe called just before we were sitting down for dinner and I took Bella's hand and led her up to my room so we could talk to Chloe. The noise level in our house was just too much.

"Daddy, I miss being with you and Bella and Mom-mom and Pop-pop and Aunt Alice. Thanksgiving is weird here, we had enchiladas and chile rayaynos with rice and beans for dinner."

"I'm sorry, Chloebear. Say hi to Bella, she's here with me," I said, putting the phone on speaker.

"Bella!" Chloe cried.

"Hey, sweetpea." Bella smiled.

"I miss you, Bella."

"We miss you too, Chloebear," I said softly.

"I have an idea, Chloe," Bella began. "How about if we make a big Thanksgiving dinner together when you come home for Christmas?"

"Really?"

"Really. Would you like that, sweetpea?"

"Yes!" Chloe cried excitedly.

We talked for a few more minutes before Irina told Chloe they had to go. I promised to talk to her in a few days and told her we loved her.

"You know you made her day right?" I asked Bella as we made our way down the stairs.

"Something's got to brighten her day, Edward. She sounded so sad. She should never have to sound like that … she's five for crying out loud. Besides that … who eats enchiladas, chile rellenos, rice and beans for Thanksgiving?" Bella asked raising an eyebrow at me.

"I know. That's not exactly Chloe friendly food. But what do I do? Petition the court and put in a stipulation that if she's with Irina for Thanksgiving they feed Chloe turkey and mashed potatoes?"

"No, I guess not," Bella giggled. "I just wish this was easier on both of you," she said, suddenly very serious.

"Me too, baby. Me too."

December came with a vengeance and I was counting the days until Chloe would be with me again. Unfortunately, I found myself working harder and harder as I finished up the last couple months of my program, and I had to ask my dad to make arrangements for him to fly down and get Chloe. Bella offered but she knew that Irina wouldn't allow Chloe to come home with her, and my mom was working on a project and couldn't take the time off.

I had just stepped out of the shower when I heard Chloe's shriek of laughter downstairs. It had been a long day of class for me and they were just getting home from the airport.

"Daddy!" Chloe hollered.

"I'm up here, Chloebear. Give me a minute I just got out of the shower."

I dressed quickly and made my way downstairs to my little girl.

Christmas Eve my mom invited the same crowd over that we'd had for July 4th and Thanksgiving. Emmett and Rose came with Katie in tow. Chloe was so excited to have Katie to play with, she'd missed her fiercely and I made a note to ask Em if we could take Katie along when Bella and I went to California.

We spent the evening talking, laughing and enjoying each other's company. Eventually, Rose and Emmett left so they could get Katie into bed and get ready for Santa. Bella volunteered to get Chloe bathed and ready for bed which Chloe eagerly agreed to. I peeked into the bathroom to see them playing with Barbie's in the bathtub, bubbles everywhere, both of them giggling and happy. I waited in my room until they were done and then I followed the scent of Chloe's strawberry shampoo to her room where Bella sat on the bed as she carefully braided Chloe's hair.

"Almost ready for a story, Chloebear?"

"Yep! Daddy! Bella showed me how to make my own bubbles in the bathtub."

"Oh she did, did she?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Bella giggled in response.

"Yeah," Chloe continued. "You just get some soap in your hand and then curl your finger up against your thumb like this and let it out slowly," she demonstrated with her little hand. "And when you see the rainbow swirlies of the soap, you can blow on it and make a bubble!"

"Shh!" Bella shushed her, "you'll tell all our secrets!"

Both my girls fell into a fit of laughter as they began to tickle each other. When they calmed down, I sat on the side of the bed and read The Night Before Christmas. Chloe was asleep by the time I finished the story and Bella wasn't far behind. I gently helped Bella from the bed and pulled her toward my room.

"Edward … I should go home."

"Are you sure you can't stay?"

"Your parents …"

"My parents don't care, baby. You're welcome here anytime."

"That's sweet. But I really should go, my parents are expecting me. But if you want, I'll come back tomorrow, okay?"

I sighed in defeat and nodded.

I walked her downstairs and helped her into her coat before walking her out to her car. Snow had begun to fall lightly around us. Even in the dim light from the streetlamp I could see her pink cheeks and nose, rosy from the cold.

"Merry Christmas, beautiful," I said before kissing her sweetly.

She wrapped her arms around me and hugged me tightly.

"Merry Christmas, Edward."

The next morning, we sat in our disaster of a living room. It looked like a war zone, there was strewn boxes and ripped wrapping paper everywhere. Chloe came over and sat down in my lap.

"Did you get everything you asked Santa for, baby?" I asked.

"I only asked him for one thing," Chloe answered quietly.

"Yeah? What was that, Chloebear?"

"For you to be happy."

"Oh, baby girl. I am happy. I have you and Bella and Mom-mom and Pop-pop and Aunt Alice. That's all I need."

"Do you love Bella, Daddy?"

I panicked for a moment before I realized that I needed to answer her with complete honesty.

"Yes, baby. I do love Bella."

"Good. 'Cuz I love her too."

Chloe went back to California just after New Year's and my dad took her back for me since I was still elbow deep in my classes. I finished up at the end of January and Bella and I went to Mariner's Landing to celebrate. I'd applied to Seattle PD and had been hired on as a detective and I'd be starting in mid-February.

Just as I was settling into my new job, Irina called saying that she wanted to take Chloe to Bahrain for spring break. I explained that it wasn't a good idea to take such a long trip when Chloe only had a few days off.

"What am I supposed to do, Edward? Ignore my life because my child has to go to school? That's absurd!" Irina ranted.

"It's not absurd, Irina. It's a fact of life. She has to go to school. It's good for her, and I don't want you pulling her out of school because you want to take a vacation."

"It's not a vacation, Edward."

"Whatever it is, the answer is no. Take her to Bahrain later this summer when she's out of school."

"That means that you won't get her for the entire summer."

"That's fine," I sighed. "A couple weeks less won't kill me."

After talking the entire situation over with Bella and talking to Chloe, Bella and I decided that spring break would be the perfect time for us to go down and spend a few days with Chloe.

Bella had some vacation days banked and I learned that I did as well. Since Katie was out of school that week also, Emmett and Rosalie were happy to let her tag along as a surprise to Chloe.

When the time came, I dropped Bella and Katie off at the hotel and went to pick up Chloe. I hadn't told Irina that Bella was with me because I knew if I did, she wouldn't let Chloe go. I felt awful having to hide her and she'd probably take it back to the lawyer but I didn't care. Bella was a part of my life and I wasn't going to let Irina give me shit about it.

Disneyland with the girls was great. They were both so excited as we made our way around the park. Even Bella; her eyes alight with excitement. Chloe had cried with joy when she realized that Bella and Katie were waiting in our hotel room for her. Both Chloe and Katie were beside themselves when they realized we were going to Disneyland.

We walked through the park; riding the rides, perusing the shops and getting our fill of the delicious eats they had to offer. We stayed until late in the evening, ending our day with the fireworks display.

"Thank you for a wonderful day, Edward," Bella said softly beside me before reaching up to softly kiss my cheek.

"You're welcome, beautiful."

Once the girls were tucked into bed and sleeping peacefully in our hotel room, Bella and I crawled into bed and snuggled up with each other before we too drifted off into an exhausted sleep.

"Thank you, Daddy," Chloe cried as I hugged her.

I was dropping her off after spending four days with her. I'd brought Katie and Bella with me as we were heading straight to the airport.

"You're welcome, baby. You'll see us again this summer and that's not too far off, so don't cry, okay?"

She nodded and turned to Irina.

"June fifth is her last day of school, Edward so any time you want to pick her up after that would be fine," Irina snipped.

"Okay. I'll look into making arrangements and I'll let you know when something is definite."

I kissed Chloe once more and she waved at Bella and Katie in the car as we pulled away.

The two months between spring break and summer vacation went by quick because the next thing I knew I was getting on a plane again to go pick up Chloe for the summer.

"She needs to be back before July 20th, Edward. We're going to Bahrain for a few weeks," Irina reminded me.

"That's fine, but she needs to be back in time to start school in August, Irina. Also … since I'm losing half of my summer with her, I'd like her for Thanksgiving and Christmas."

She rolled her eyes at me and muttered 'fine'.

Irina gave into my request entirely too easily and that worried me.

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><p><strong>AN: I just wanted to mention ... Bella was 19 when she was in that horrible accident that resulted in Jake's death. She's now 27 so she's had a considerable amount of time to come to terms with his loss. She's come a long way in those 8 years. Edward has only had a few years to come to terms with the loss of Irina, but never at any time did he ever feel that Bella was using him to replace Jake. I just wanted to be clear on that. ;)**

**As always, leave me a review! I love to hear what you think! =)**


	11. Chapter 11

**Twilight belongs to the ridiculously talented Stephenie Meyer.**

**A Father's Hope belongs to me.**

**Please see the A/N at the bottom for the explanation of a couple things ;)**

**Thanks to twimom817 for beta'ing and making this look pretty.**

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><p><strong>Chapter Ten<strong>

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><p>I had nearly six great weeks with Chloe that summer. Because I worked five days a week and was on call, I made arrangements for Chloe to attend summer camp during the week. I found a great dance camp that Bella convinced me Chloe would love. I'd drop her off in the morning before heading to work and either my parents or Bella would pick her up in the afternoons. We fell into an easy routine that somehow worked out for everyone.<p>

When Bella picked her up, they'd spend the afternoon playing in the park or at the library lost in a book. That was one thing I'd be forever grateful to Bella for – getting Chloe interested in reading. Irina wasn't a reader unless it was a beauty magazine. I'd always loved books, but since I'd started at the police academy I didn't have much time to read. Bella taught Chloe that books could be fun – not just something you learn from. Bella would cook dinner for us all on the days she picked up Chloe. She'd choose something that Chloe could help her with and they'd make dinner together.

It made me happy to see them getting along so well because they were the most important people in my life. To come home to them was one of the best feelings in the world. I'd walk in the door and they were both smiling and happy to see me. Chloe of course was eager to tell me how her day was and then show me what she'd learned that day. After dinner, I'd help Bella with the dishes and we'd say goodnight.

Gone were the lazy weekends that Bella and I shared. We tried to make up for it as often as possible, my parents keeping Chloe on the weekends so that Bella and I could spend some time together. Rose and Emmett even volunteered to have a sleepover for the girls so Bella and I could be together. The evenings and mornings belonged to Bella and me, but the rest of the time was just for the three of us.

"Can we go fishing again, Daddy?"

"Sure, baby. Do you want to ask Uncle Em and Katie to go or do you just want it to be us?"

"You and me and Bella, Daddy."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Yep. I love Bella a lot, don't you, Daddy?"

"I do, Chloebear. Bella's very special and I like spending time with her. I like when _we_ spend time with her."

"Me too," Chloe agreed. "Daddy … are you going to marry Bella?"

"Chloe …" I chided. "Honey, I love Bella but we're still getting to know each other. Getting married is a big deal, baby. I don't want what happened to your mom and me to happen with me and Bella. So for now we're happy to spend time together, okay?"

Chloe nodded.

We spent an enjoyable afternoon out on the lake fishing. Bella had made us an amazing picnic lunch and I was shocked to see Chloe eat everything Bella put out for her. She was normally such a picky eater and my mom had packed a backup lunch just in case but it wasn't needed. After lunch, we settled down on our blanket and Bella took out a book and she and Chloe took turns reading to me as my head laid in Bella's lap. I don't remember falling asleep, but I remember Bella telling Chloe not to wake me.

"Hey, handsome," Bella crooned. "Time to wake up. Chloe needs the bathroom and my butt is asleep," she giggled.

"Oh well, we can't have that now can we?" I said, sitting up.

Chloe slept in the car on the way home. I thanked Bella for letting me nap while she and Chloe continued to read.

"You were tired, Edward. It's fine," she promised.

"I wouldn't have been so tired if a feisty brunette hadn't kept me up all night," I smirked.

"Are you complaining, baby?" Bella grinned.

"Never. "

Our weeks with Chloe went by way faster than I would have liked for them to. Her last day of camp coincided with her last full day with us and I managed to take time off to go and see her recital even though I had been brought in on an important case and was working more hours than usual. Bella had also taken the day off along with the rest of my family to go and support Chloe. I was thankful that Bella had thought ahead and brought a small bouquet of pale pink roses for Chloe. I knew she'd be so excited that Bella brought her flowers for her dance debut.

Chloe looked like an angel dancing up on the stage. She was so light on her feet and very, very graceful. Alice was busy clicking picture after picture and the smile on my mom's face was as bright as the sun. I held Bella's hand in mine as we watched routine after routine, but it wasn't something that I could ever tire of – seeing my little girl doing something she loved; something that made her happy.

"Daddy … will you ask mommy if she'll sign me up for dance classes at home?" Chloe asked later that night as I tucked her into bed one last time.

"Sure, baby. I don't think mommy will have a problem with that. I'll ask her when I talk to her tomorrow, okay?"

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take Chloe back to California because of the case I was working on, but my mom would be flying down with her and make sure that she got back to Irina safely.

Chloe nodded and I kissed her forehead before turning out her light.

"Be a good girl for Mom-mom, okay?" I asked.

"I will, Daddy," Chloe promised.

"I love you, baby girl. See you at Thanksgiving, okay?"

"Okay." Chloe smiled.

I buckled my baby girl in and waved as my parents took off toward the airport and I got in my car to head into work to get a head start on all the paperwork I had to sift through.

Little did I know, that would be the last time I'd see my daughter for nearly a year.

Irina agreed that she would have Chloe back in time for school to start in mid-August. That didn't happen. She gave me the excuse that she was starting some college classes in September that she couldn't take in California and they needed to stay in Bahrain until the end of the semester in December.

"Irina … you said you'd have her back. I'm happy that you're taking classes and trying to do something productive, but she's nearly six years old – she needs to be in school."

"She's got a tutor, Edward. Don't worry about her, she won't fall behind."

"What about Thanksgiving? Part of our agreement for taking her in July was that I'd get her for Thanksgiving and Christmas."

"If you want to fly here to get her for Thanksgiving, Edward you are more than welcome."

"Irina …"

"No, Edward. If you want her, you'll have to fly here to get her. I will bring her to you at Christmas, but if you want her for Thanksgiving, it's up to you to make it happen."

"That's a long trip for only a few days, Irina."

So it was that I explained to my sweet little girl that I wouldn't be keeping my promise and seeing her for Thanksgiving, but I promised her with all that I had that I'd see her at Christmas.

After that, calls from Irina were few and far between. She only called when she needed something and she never let Chloe talk for long. Just after Chloe's birthday, the calls stopped altogether. I tried calling, but always got Irina's voicemail and she never bothered to call me back. I also tried emailing her, but that deemed futile as well. Bella suggested contacting her on Facebook. Her wall was full of all her activities, but not one thing mentioned Chloe.

Early one morning in mid-December I was woken out of a deep sleep by the ringing of my cell phone. I answered to find a sobbing Chloe on the other line.

"D-Daddy … I-I w-want to come home. I want to be with you and Bella. I hate it here. Mommy leaves me alone all day with the nanny and she's not very nice. I want to go to school too but Mommy won't let me."

I knew that Irina often left Chloe's care to a nanny when she was home in Bahrain but I never had any idea how much. I was also under the impression that Irina had done as I'd asked and enrolled Chloe in school which obviously was not the case.

"Baby girl … you'll be home in a little over a week. Can you hang on for me at least that long?"

"Yes, Daddy," she sobbed.

"Where is your mommy now?"

"She's sleeping. She doesn't know I tooked her phone."

"How did you figure out how to call me, Chloebear?"

"Mommy has your picture on her phone so she knows when you call. She doesn't answer a lot."

That was an understatement.

I could hear Irina's voice in the background calling for Chloe and I could hear her ask who Chloe was talking to.

"Daddy," was my sweet girl's reply.

"Edward?" Irina asked.

"I'm here, Irina. Care to explain why my daughter called me crying and telling me that she wants to come home?"

"She misses you, Edward. Surely you understand that."

"I do. I miss her immensely, Irina. Do you have an idea when you're flying in?"

"We'll be there on the 22nd. I'll email you our itinerary. You'll pick us up right?"

"I'll pick Chloe up. That was the deal, Irina."

"So what am I supposed to do? Not spend Christmas with my daughter?"

"You can do whatever you like, Irina. You took her early and you agreed that I could have her at Christmas, so this is you keeping your end of the agreement."

I couldn't believe that she'd actually think that she was welcome to stay with us during my visit with Chloe. That was most definitely not part of the deal and I could only imagine what my parents and Bella would think.

"Well, could you at least pay for a hotel then so I don't have to buy a ticket back to California?"

"If you want to stay in Seattle, you make your own arrangements, Irina."

"You're such an asshole, Edward. Would you really put the mother of your child out on the street at Christmas?"

"Irina … the divorce agreement says I have to provide for my daughter, not for you," I reminded her.

I looked up to see my mother standing in the doorway to my room.

"Just let her stay here, sweetheart. If you don't, I'm afraid you won't see Chloe at Christmas," my mom said softly.

"Fine … you can stay here. But you will mind your manners while you're here. You'll be respectful of my parents and of my girlfriend."

"Fine. See you on the 22nd."

With that, Irina ended the call. A few days later, I received their itinerary in my email. I made a point to take off from work a little early that day to give myself a little extra time to get to the airport. I checked their flight status and it was on-time. I waited impatiently at baggage claim, continuing to check the arrival boards. I saw the people from their flight claim their bags and leave the airport, but I never did see Chloe or Irina. I tried calling Irina several times, but it went to voicemail every time. I thought maybe they had missed their connection or something, but when I went up to the ticketing counter, they told me that they had no record of a Chloe Cullen or Irina Denali ever being ticketed and that they were most definitely not on the flight. The counter attendant asked me if I had the correct airline and I pulled up my email that Irina had sent and showed it to her. She apologized again and I turned and walked out of the airport angrier than I'd never been in my entire life.

I phoned my dad to tell him what was going on and he was like me – in utter disbelief. I saw red the majority of my drive home. I went straight to my dad's home office to find him furiously typing away on his computer. My mother sat on the couch beside his desk silently sobbing.

"Son … I think it's time to find a lawyer and fight this thing with Irina."

"But I have a lawyer," I argued.

"I think we need to find someone better, Son. I hate to say it, but I think this is going far beyond a custody violation but that's where we need to start."

There was a quiet knock at the front door and my mother stood to answer it as I stood and stared at my father in shock. I could barely hear Bella's quiet voice in the hall behind me as my mother explained that Chloe didn't come home.

"Edward …" Bella said softly.

I turned to look at her, her eyes full of concern.

"You're here …" I whispered.

"I came as soon as Esme called. Carlisle, my mom said to call Garrett Christianson. She gave him a brief rundown of the situation and he's expecting your call."

"Thank you, Bella," my father nodded.

Bella slipped her hand in mine and tugged me over to the couch to sit down. Gently, she drew circles across my knuckles. Her touch was soothing when I was seething inside.

"Edward …" my mother said, looking up from her own computer. "I got an email from Irina saying that they missed their flight. She says they are trying to get on another flight."

"Mom, that's bullshit and you know it. Irina has no intention of bringing Chloe home for Christmas. I knew that the moment she agreed to it."

"I know, honey. Let's just get in touch with Mr. Christianson and see what we can do about getting her back, okay?"

Mr. Christianson asked me to come in to his office the following morning. He asked me to bring any and all documentation I had. I collected every email, every phone bill reflecting incoming calls – everything. I had done exactly what Emmett suggested to the T. By the time we were done organizing everything and sifting through all the information, Mr. Christianson agreed that I definitely had a case, but the problem would be getting Chloe back to the U.S. because Bahrain doesn't honor judgments from U.S. courts.

That afternoon we filed a grievance against Irina for being in violation of her custody order and a request to move the case to Washington courts.

We knew the request would more than likely be denied, but it didn't hurt to try.

"California courts are strict when a child is involved so we'll have to see which way they want to go with this."

I nodded.

"Mr. Christianson, I don't care if I have to go to California to fight for my daughter. If that's what they decide then so be it. My main concern is my daughter. She's six years old … she should be in school interacting with other kids and learning and she's not. Her mother leaves her with a nanny and that's not right. She deserves the attention of her parents, not a nanny."

"I understand, Edward. We will bring those facts to light as soon as we possibly can. In the meantime, keep doing what you're doing. Document everything; even when it's Chloe calling because the frequency of those phone calls is important too."

I nodded and thanked him for his time, promising to be in touch.

Christmas was miserable without Chloe. All her unopened packages remained under the tree. Her absence hit everyone in my family hard. We still hadn't heard from her or Irina beyond the email saying that they'd missed their flight. Bella stayed over on Christmas Eve. She was so worried about me, knowing that Chloe not being home was killing me.

I had a surprise for Bella and Chloe that I couldn't wait to show them. In early November, I'd decided that I wanted to buy a house. I started the process with my VA loan and I found a neighborhood that I really liked where they were building new homes. The schools were good and the commute to work wasn't bad. It wouldn't be bad for Bella either. Yeah, I'd taken her into consideration when I started looking because as much as I fought it, she was a part of my life. I fell in love with her, something I thought I'd never do again but it felt right with her. She was sweet and caring, intelligent and funny – not to mention she was a fantastic cook. The best thing about her was that she loved Chloe and me unconditionally. I wanted to ask her to move in with me because I hated being apart from her and so I bought a fancy key and wrapped it up. I planned on giving it to her on Christmas.

As we sat in my parent's den on Christmas Eve in front of the fireplace, Bella sitting on my lap and Emmett and Rose on the couch, I realized that I didn't want to wait anymore to ask her. After everyone left, I took Bella by the hand and led her up to my room. We changed into our pajamas and crawled into bed. I reached over to my bedside table and took the box out of the drawer and handed it to Bella.

"What is this?" she asked softly.

"Just open it." I smiled.

She carefully tore the paper off and opened the box. Bella pulled out the key and held it by the red ribbon I'd tied onto it.

"Move in with me?" I asked quietly.

"Here?" Bella asked with a raised brow.

"No. I bought a house."

"You did?" Bella gasped.

"I did. It's being built and it won't be done for a few months, but I'll take you by in a couple days so you can see what it's going to look like. If you want you can help me choose the cabinets and countertops and that kind of stuff."

"Really? Oh, Edward. I'd love to!"

She wrapped her arms around me and I pulled her to my chest, kissing her and caressing her beautiful body. It didn't take long for us to lose ourselves in each other as I slid into her and made love to her the only way I knew how – the only way she deserved.

Christmas Day was much the same, only late in the afternoon my phone rang and it was my sweet baby's voice on the other end.

"Daddy?"

"Chloebear," I breathed.

"I miss you so much, Daddy. Will you come here and get me, please?"

My heart just about broke at her desperate plea but I have to admit that I gave it some serious thought.

"I'd love to, baby girl, but mommy probably wouldn't like that too much."

"She doesn't know that I'm talking to you. She said I'm not allowed to call you."

"Baby girl … you shouldn't disobey mommy, but I'm so glad you called. I miss you and it feels so good to hear your voice. Are you having a good Christmas?"

"No. Nana and Papa said that we couldn't have a Christmas tree this year," she sobbed. "I miss Mom-mom and Pop-pop and Aunt Alice and Bella … but Daddy I miss you most of all."

I hung my head in my hands and pinched the bridge of my nose.

"Edward?"

Bella was standing behind me gently rubbing my back. I mouthed to her that Chloe was on the phone and she smiled. I handed her the phone.

"Hey, sweetpea," Bella crooned.

"Bella!"

"How are you?"

"I miss you and Daddy."

"Daddy and I miss you too, sweetpea. Are you being a good girl?"

"Uh huh. But I want to come home."

"I know, sweetpea, just hang in there, okay? Here's your daddy. Love you, Chloe."

Bella handed me back the phone and I talked to Chloe for a few more minutes finding out that she still wasn't enrolled in school; she was still spending her days and most nights with the nanny. I was absolutely enraged at the thought that Irina had told my daughter that she wasn't allowed to call me.

"Mother fucker!" I yelled in frustration.

"Edward …" Bella said softly, "tell me what's going on."

I told her what Chloe had told me and the look on her sweet face was murderous.

"She's not allowed to call you? I bet that's not part of the custody agreement either," Bella fumed.

A couple days after Christmas I was at work when my email pinged. My mom had forwarded an email that Irina had sent her saying that she wanted to come home to the States but she wanted to move from where they were staying in Ontario* to San Diego. She wanted to know if I would use my VA loan to buy her a condo in San Diego so she could pursue her dreams of being an airline pilot. She said if I agreed to do so that she'd have Chloe home by New Year's Eve.

She was off her fucking rocker if she thought I was going to buy her a condo so she could shack up with her boyfriend and continue to treat Chloe like she has been; neglecting to send her to school and leaving her with a nanny all day.

"Obviously, Edward, Ms. Denali is using your daughter as means to get what she wants. I'm hoping that after the first of the year we'll have a court date and we can set things in motion. In the meantime, sit tight; don't give in to her demands," Mr. Christianson instructed me.

New Year's came and went and I didn't hear from Irina again. Bella had somehow managed to friend her on Facebook and in mid-January she called me at work one morning.

"Edward … Irina enrolled Chloe in school. She posted pictures of her first day of school on Facebook."

I felt anger and relief all at once. Anger because it had taken her so long to enroll her in school and relief because Chloe would finally be with other kids and she had a chance to learn something. It also meant that she wouldn't be spending the majority of her days with a nanny.

Just after the first of the year, I moved into Bella's apartment, and our new house was scheduled to be done in mid-June. I had taken Bella over to the neighborhood so she could tour the model home and she immediately fell in love with it.

"Oh Edward … it's perfect. Chloe will love it here."

We walked around the upstairs and she walked into the room that I pictured Chloe in.

"She'll want to paint it pink, you know," Bella giggled.

"She could ask me to paint it Pepto Bismol pink and I wouldn't care as long as she's here with us," I said softly.

"Edward … we'll get her back. Irina can't keep her forever. She's our little girl, too."

Ours.

_Ours_.

I repeated it over in my head because I loved the sound of it. I pulled Bella into my arms and held her tight.

"She's ours, baby."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Just a couple things … **

**A VA loan is a Veterans Assistance loan available to first time homebuyers who are currently serving or who have served in the military provided they were honorably discharged.**

**I mentioned that Irina wanted to move from Ontario to San Diego. The Ontario I'm referring to is in Southern California not Canada. = )**

**Thanks for reading and please leave me a review!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Twilight belongs to the ridiculously talented Stephenie Meyer.**

**A Father's Hope belongs to me.**

**Thanks to twimom817 for beta'ing and making this look pretty.**

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><p><strong>Chapter Eleven<strong>

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><p>Not long after the first of the year, I filed an order to show cause in King County Family Court and an emergent order. Unfortunately the judge who handled the case found my situation to be non- emergent and suggested we file a motion package. We were scheduled for a February 11th preliminary hearing date.<p>

Mr. Christianson said that we would have to prove that Irina was served with court papers through the mail. Papers were sent to her both in Bahrain and her last known address in California.

Other than Bella seeing the pictures of Chloe on Facebook with her new school uniform on, we had no information as to where she was going to school. Irina proved useless in providing any information as she was still avoiding my calls. I finally ended up contacting the United States Department of State which made contact with the embassy in Bahrain. I was told that a representative from the embassy would be making home visits to check on Chloe's well- being. Through them we were able to get a few photos and finally find out where she was going to school.

Winter melted into spring and phone calls with Chloe remained few and far between. She always begged me to fly to Bahrain to get her but I'd been threatened by Irina's father on more than one occasion if I even set foot in the country I'd be arrested for attempted kidnapping.

"Doesn't he realize that kidnapping is exactly what his daughter did?" Bella huffed.

"Baby, in her father's eyes, I'm probably the one who cheated and did everything wrong. He probably thinks that I don't want Chloe and that's why Irina went back to Bahrain."

"It's just so unfair, Edward. If Irina is filling her father's head with bullshit how are we to know what she's filling Chloe's head with?" Bella asked, frustrated.

One day in early May, I received a phone call from my lawyer saying that we had a court date in California on June 21st. He said that the judge had ruled that California would keep jurisdiction over the case because Chloe was born in the State of California. Mr. Christianson also mentioned that the court was having problems locating the lawyer that Irina had supposedly obtained.

A few days after we received the court date, Irina called begging me to call off my legal action against her.

"Please, Edward …" Irina begged.

"No, Irina. You violated the custody agreement. YOU are in the wrong here. You were supposed to bring Chloe back nine months ago and you failed to do so. You've sacrificed Chloe's education and happiness for your own selfish needs; you've kept her from me and my family. You've put us through hell these last few months and I'm done. I'll do whatever it takes to protect Chloe."

"But, Edward …"

"No Irina! I'll see you in court on the 21st of June."

Our new house closed on June 18th and we were handed the keys. Bella and I had made arrangements to move that weekend. Her apartment was all packed up and ready to go. We had purchased new furniture for the house; a new bedroom set for Bella and me, a living room and dining room set as well as a new bedroom set for Chloe. Thank goodness my mom had connections and could get it all at cost.

My birthday was the day before we had to be in court, but because we had to fly to California that day, we decided to postpone celebrating until the following weekend. I felt awful leaving when Bella had a house full of boxes to unpack.

"Leave these … I'll help you unpack when I get home."

"Edward … don't worry about it. Just focus on telling the judge the truth so you can get Chloe back."

Bella drove my mom, dad and me to the airport. I wished so badly that she could have come with me, but she couldn't and my lawyer thought it would be best if Bella wasn't there.

"I love you so much, Edward. Call me when you get there, okay?"

"I will," I nodded. "I love you too, Bella. Keep your fingers crossed for me, okay?"

I pulled her into my arms one last time and kissed her sweetly, resting my forehead against hers.

"I'll miss you, baby."

"Miss you too, Edward. Now go …"

The next morning, we walked into the County Courthouse and when the bailiff called our case number, I followed Mr. Christianson up to the front of the courtroom and we took our seats. Irina was nowhere to be found.

The judge called for court to come to order and my lawyer stood when the judge asked him to explain.

"Your Honor, Ms. Denali is in contempt of her custody agreement with Mr. Cullen. It clearly states that Ms. Denali has custody of the child during the school year. Two and a half months during the summer and every other holiday she is to be in Mr. Cullen's custody. The order also states that if the child is to be removed from the country, Ms. Denali needs to have written consent from Mr. Cullen. Ms. Denali only had Mr. Cullen's consent to take his daughter out of the country for approximately four weeks. She has been there for approximately ten MONTHS your Honor."

The judge turned to look at the Defense Attorney.

"Mr. White, does your client dispute this fact?"

"Your Honor, my client simply took her daughter to her home country. She hadn't been home to visit in several years. Mr. and Mrs. Hassan, Ms. Denali's parents deserve to see their granddaughter. They deserve to get to know her. Ms. Denali is a student, and has been attending classes to become a flight attendant and then she hopes to attend school to become an airline pilot. These classes are costly, and the flight from Bahrain to the United States is very expensive. Ms. Denali simply can't afford to do both, and it's imperative that the child remain with her mother as it's the best place for her."

"Mr. White, according to the paperwork I have in front of me, Ms. Denali was asked by Mr. Cullen several times to enroll their child in school. According to the embassy, Ms. Denali didn't register her daughter until January. Can you tell me why Ms. Denali failed to enroll her prior to January?" the judge asked.

"Your Honor, Ms. Denali's family employs someone to homeschool her daughter."

"I object, your Honor. With all due respect, the embassy was unable to find any records confirming that Mr. Cullen and Ms. Denali's daughter was homeschooled. I would also like to point out your Honor that this is not the first incident of Ms. Denali taking her daughter to Bahrain and not returning home as promised."

The judge called a recess and when he came back he spoke directly to Irina's attorney.

"Mr. White, I'd like to hear Ms. Denali's take on all this. I'd like to reconvene in thirty days, and if your client fails to appear she will be held in contempt of court and that won't bode well for the custody aspect of this case."

I could feel the anger rising in my chest; mixed with the ache of not seeing my daughter for ten long months it was more than I could bear. Irina had given me so many excuses as to why she couldn't bring my daughter home, and all of them were empty; merely lies that slipped so easily from her mouth. Chloe was the one Irina was really hurting. Each time I talked to my little girl she begged to come home to me; my hands were tied, I had to leave it up to the judicial system, and I hoped with everything I had that they did the right thing.

So we returned to Seattle, frustrated that we were unable to get an order for Irina to return Chloe to the States at the very least.

"I didn't expect to come home with her but damn, I at least hoped we'd have an idea of when she'd come home," I huffed.

"Edward … from what you and your parents have said, the judge doesn't sound like he's too happy with Irina. She didn't show up to court and now he's ordered for her to show up. She could do some jail time if she pisses off the judge enough."

"Bella … I don't want harm to come to Irina, I just want Chloe back. I want her to be safe and happy. I want her to be in school. Is that too much to ask?"

"Of course not, Edward," Bella cooed. "I know you want those things, baby. Just hang in there. Give Mr. Christianson everything you possibly can and fight this thing."

"Bella …" I breathed. "I can't thank you enough … for everything. You've been here for me when you didn't have to be and God … I just …"

"Shh … Edward you don't have to thank me. I'm here because I want to be. I love you and Chloe. It's killing me that you can't be with her because I know how much you want that, baby. God, you're such a good dad, Edward. You deserve to be with her, and she deserves to be with you. You can give her stability where Irina can't."

"You're a part of that stability, Bella. Chloe can count on you. You're so good with her, she loves you and looks up to you. I wish Irina was half as involved with her as you are."

I pulled Bella into my arms and kissed her, hoping that she was feeling all of the emotion I was trying to pour into it. I picked her up, cradling her in my arms and carried her up to our bedroom. I made love to her as the light from the sunset poured through our windows. We stayed in our little bubble for the rest of the evening, losing ourselves in each other over and over again until we were too exhausted to move.

I didn't get the outcome I wanted from my day in court but I still had a lot to be thankful for; a gorgeous new home, a beautiful and loving girlfriend and a fiercely loyal family. The only thing missing was Chloe and I hoped beyond all hope that I'd have her back soon.

A/N: Thank you all again for reading. I hope that you are all enjoying a safe and Happy Holiday. Although tomorrow is Christmas, I will still be posting Chapter Twelve, and just to finish out the story, I'll also post the Epilogue. Until then ...


	13. Chapter 13

**_Twilight belongs to the ridiculously talented Stephenie Meyer._**

**_A Father's Hope belongs to me._**

**_Thanks to twimom817 for beta'ing and making this look pretty._**

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><p><strong>Chapter Twelve<strong>

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><p>My parents and I returned to California in mid-July. Once again, Bella stayed behind – this time by choice. She wasn't feeling well and the anxiety as to whether or not we'd get Chloe back was wearing on her.<p>

Irina shot daggers at me across the court room as we took our seats on our respective sides of the courtroom. We stood as the bailiff introduced the judge and he entered the courtroom. He asked us to sit and he began shortly thereafter.

"Ms. Denali … thank you for gracing us with your presence. This problem could have been resolved already had you joined us last month, but as it is, I'd like to hear what you have to say rather than just reading the paperwork and depositions. Mr. Christianson, if you will please?"

My attorney asked Irina question after question. The first thing he asked of Irina was for her to explain her agreement with me regarding her trip to Bahrain.

"Edward wouldn't let me take Chloe to Bahrain over spring break, he said it was too long of a trip to take in such a short time. She only had five days off of school so he asked me to wait until the summer. Edward usually has her for the summer, so he volunteered to give up part of the summer as long as I had her back in time for school and that he got her for Thanksgiving and Christmas."

"Did you agree to that particular arrangement with Mr. Cullen, Ms. Denali?"

"Yes, I did."

"So why didn't you follow through with your end of the arrangement?"

"When we got to Bahrain I was offered a wonderful opportunity to return to university and continue my education. It was too good to pass up, so I agreed to stay for the semester."

"Did you discuss this decision with your ex-husband?"

"No, I did not," Irina replied as she looked down at her lap.

"Why is that, Ms. Denali."

"Because he would have wanted me to return to California and put Chloe in school."

"Is there a reason as to why you didn't enroll your daughter in school in Bahrain until January of this year, Ms. Denali?"

"Chloe was homeschooled by our nanny. Edward pushed for me to enroll her in school but it wasn't necessary. When we realized that all the work she'd done with the nanny couldn't be transferred onto her transcript we enrolled her in public school so that she wouldn't be behind when we returned to the States."

"Shouldn't the transfer of credits have been something you should have worried about before you allowed her to be homeschooled?"

"Well yes, I suppose …"

"Ms. Denali, how often did Mr. Cullen contact you while you were in Bahrain?"

"Umm … maybe a few times a week. More around Chloe's birthday and the holidays."

"How often did you answer Mr. Cullen's phone calls?"

"Maybe once a month."

"Why was that?"

"I wanted to be free of his harassment. For once, I wanted to do what I wanted to do. Being in Bahrain allowed me to do that."

Harassment? I called to check on my daughter, to tell her that I loved her and missed her. I didn't call several times a week to talk to Irina, that's for damn sure. For her to sit there and tell the court that I was harassing her, was a blatant lie. All I could do was sit and shake my head.

"Ms. Denali, do you believe that it was in your daughter's best interest to keep her from her father?"

"No. Edward's a good father to her, he always has been. It's just that I was nineteen years old when I had her and I never really had a chance to be me or do anything for myself, so I'm taking that chance now."

Mr. Christianson asked her a few more questions and then he was done. The judge called for a fifteen minute recess and I had to step out of the courtroom and call Bella just to hear her soothing voice.

"Edward?"

"Hey, beautiful," I sighed.

"Hey, yourself. How's everything going?"

"Miserable. Christianson just finished questioning Irina. She had the nerve to tell the court I was harassing her."

"WHAT?" Bella screeched.

"Exactly. She made it sound like I was calling to talk to her not to check on Chloe."

"That's ridiculous, babe. You'll have a chance to fight that, right?"

"I don't know. I just wanted to call and hear your voice. I miss you, baby."

"I miss you too, Edward," Bella sighed. "Call me later?"

I ended the call and went to speak with my attorney for a few moments before court reconvened.

"Edward … don't worry about Irina's claim of harassment. You'll have a chance to say what you need to say as soon as her attorney questions her. I'm sure the judge won't let it go without allowing you a chance to defend yourself."

I breathed a sigh of relief at hearing that. I was still very worried at how everything was going. I'd heard horror stories of the court siding with the mother even if being with her wasn't in the best interest of the child.

When court was called back to order, Irina's attorney did question her, but he asked far less questions. He smiled and concluded his questions and the judge excused her. As promised, the judge asked to hear my side of the story.

Mr. Christianson asked me about everything pertaining to our custody agreement and my agreement with Irina that led to her taking Chloe to Bahrain. He questioned me about the previous times she'd been to Bahrain and her failure to arrive back by her promised date. He questioned me about all the times that I'd been to the airport to wait for her and she never showed up, and I told the court about finding out that Irina and Chloe were never ticketed.

"Mr. Cullen … Ms. Denali feels like you were harassing her by trying to contact her …"

"Objection!" Mr. White, Irina's attorney said forcefully.

"Your Honor, I'm merely questioning my client's motives as to why he was trying to contact her and why she may have felt that it was harassment."

"Overruled," the judge said dryly.

"Mr. Cullen … can you tell me why you attempted to contact Ms. Denali several times a week?"

"I wanted to check on my daughter. I only ever talk to Irina if I have something to discuss with her regarding Chloe such as flight arrangements or dance lessons. I love and miss my daughter very much. I want to know that she's safe and happy. That's all I care about. She's been gone for over ten months, and in those ten months, I can count the times I've talked to my daughter on one hand. At one point, she called me in tears telling me that Irina wouldn't allow her to call me."

Mr. Christianson questioned me for over two hours, going over everything that Irina had done that I documented. When he finished the judge excused me and asked for the attorney's closing statements; Irina's attorney went first.

"Your Honor, clearly we have a case of two parents who just can't agree and a young mother who wants to make a career for herself to provide for her child the best way she knows how. Ms. Denali is willing to move back to the States and follow the original custody agreement starting in September. She's been accepted into a flight school in San Diego."

When Mr. White was finished, Mr. Christianson stood and made our case.

"Your Honor, my client is an honorable man. He's an ex- Marine who put his life on the line to fight for our country and now he sits in front of you fighting for his daughter. Since his separation and subsequent divorce from Ms. Denali he has attended the police academy and become a detective in the city of Seattle. I assure you that he is one of America's finest and he deserves a chance with his daughter. Mr. Cullen can offer her a stable home environment; she'll be enrolled in school and opportunities will be available to her that might not be available with Ms. Denali due to her school schedule. Thank you for your time and consideration."

My attorney returned to his seat and the judge spoke.

"This court stands in recess until tomorrow morning at 9 a.m."

It was well after five when we finished at the courthouse and we were exhausted. My parents and I returned to our hotel room and cleaned up before going out to get some dinner. While they cleaned up, I called Bella. I knew she'd be home from work, probably making herself some dinner and settling in on the couch. I wished that Chloe and I could be there with her.

"Hey, baby. How'd it go?"

"I don't know. We're in recess until tomorrow morning. I was on the stand for nearly two hours, it was excruciating."

"Oh, Edward. I'm so sorry that you have to wait to find out."

I talked to Bella for a while longer, reconnecting with her in the best way that I could over the phone. I missed her immensely, but talking to her was soothing.

"Call me in the morning as soon as you hear something, Edward."

The following morning, we arrived at the courthouse a bit early and as we sat waiting for the bailiff to call us in, Irina walked in once again shooting me evil looks.

We made our way into the courtroom and we stayed standing as the judge entered quickly after.

"Be seated. I'd like to get this underway as quickly as possible."

"It's a sad thing when a child is a victim. I believe wholeheartedly that's what happened in this case. We have a young mother who wants to move on but her child is getting lost in the rubble. We have a father who is accepting of his responsibility to his child but he's being denied. Ms. Denali, I'll give you fourteen days to return your daughter to the state of California. Failure to do so will not bode well for your dreams of becoming an international airline pilot. Do I make myself clear? You will make the arrangements and notify the court as to the plans of your arrival. Failure to do either of those things and I will find you in contempt of court and issue a warrant for your arrest.

"Mr. Cullen, once the court receives Ms. Denali's arrival plans, I will grant you principal custody of your daughter until a custody hearing can be held. The court will be in touch with your attorney to notify you of the date. During that time, Ms. Denali will not have visitation with the child. A child welfare representative will also be appointed and will make a few visits during that time to check in with you and see how things are going."

On August 2nd we got a call saying that Chloe would be arriving in California on August 4th. Bella and I were beside ourselves with happiness. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to fly down to get her because I was working on a case and I couldn't leave, but my parents were more than happy to go. A court appointed liaison met them at the airport. Because Chloe's flight was international, my parents had to wait outside of customs. It took a while for them to send Chloe through because Irina was being held by airport police and was asked by the court liaison to surrender both hers and Chloe's passports as part of a court order.

My mom videotaped the entire reunion with Chloe. As soon as Chloe was free from the court liaison, she ran into my father's arms. Minutes later, they called me.

"Daddy?"

"Chloebear! "

"Daddy … I'm here with Mom-mom and Pop-pop. We're going to the other side of the airport. I can't wait to see you and Bella!"

"We can't wait to see you either, baby. Bella's so excited you're coming home. We can't wait for you to see the new house and your new room."

"I love you, Daddy."

I talked to my mom briefly, confirming that their flight into Seattle was on time and I assured them I'd be there to pick them up. Bella had taken the entire day off and spent it making sure everything in our house was perfect. She'd planned a welcome home party for Chloe and the entire dining room, kitchen and living room area were covered in pink. Bella had even put up the Christmas tree and covered it with pink ribbons and decorations and all of the gifts for Chloe from the previous Christmas sat beneath it.

I stopped at home to take a shower and change out of my uniform before heading to the airport to pick them up.

"The house looks great, beautiful. You've done a great job," I smiled before leaning down to sweetly kiss her.

"Thanks," Bella said shyly.

"How are you feeling?" I asked with a grin.

"Edward! You said you weren't going to say a word!"

"I can't help it, Bella. I worry about you."

Bella found out that she was pregnant while I was in California in July and morning sickness seemed to happen at random times throughout the day. It was a surprise but a good surprise. I knew that Bella was the only person I wanted to be with, to raise another child with. I hoped that we had the opportunity to finish raising Chloe together. Bella confessed that she felt the same exact way.

"I knew the night that I showed you my scars; when you were there to comfort me from my nightmare," she told me.

I think that was the night I fell in love with her too.

We decided to keep the news about the baby quiet until after the custody hearing. Bella was afraid that if the social worker the court sent over knew about it that it would look bad.

"I'm sorry, Bella. That's twice in my life that a baby has come before commitment, but in our case it's not because I haven't thought about it. I have. I just wanted to get Chloe settled first."

"Edward …" Bella crooned. "It's okay. I understand. This baby is a surprise but I don't regret it because this baby is a piece of us and it's a little ray of sunshine in the middle of a storm."

_Us._

God, did I love the sound of that.

"Edward … you better hurry or you'll be late picking them up," Bella chided, breaking me out of my reverie.

"Yes, dear," I chuckled, kissing her and caressing her stomach before I flew out the door.

"Surprise!"

I was holding Chloe as we walked in the door to our house. Tears streamed down her sweet little face as she realized our friends and family were all waiting there for her. Bella stood near the island in the kitchen, her hands over her face as tears fell from her beautiful eyes.

I set Chloe on her feet and let her make her way around to everyone, including Katie who was bouncing on her feet in anticipation.

I crossed the room and pulled Bella into my arms. She melted into my chest as she watched Chloe hug Alice for dear life.

"I can't wait to go shopping Aunt Alice!"

No one in the room could contain their laughter.

"Are you happy, baby?" Bella asked quietly.

Standing there in a kitchen that Bella and I had designed together, holding her in my arms; knowing that she was carrying my child inside her, we quietly watched Chloe interact with everyone; hugging them and telling them she missed them. Even Bella's parents – they loved Chloe like a granddaughter. Renee liked to spoil her as much as my own mother. I felt like I had everything – I _knew_ that I had everything and that was all I could ever hope for.

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><p><strong>AN: I apologize for any and all mistakes regarding the court portion of this story. I'm not a lawyer obviously so I've taken creative liberties here. The account of the courtroom proceedings is *fairly* accurate as my parents actually attended court the day testimony was given.**

**The Epilogue will post shortly. Thank you again for reading.**

**Merry Christmas to those of you who celebrate!**


	14. Chapter 14

_**Twilight belongs to the ridiculously talented Stephenie Meyer.**_

_**A Father's Hope belongs to me.**_

_**Thanks to twimom817 for beta'ing and making this look pretty.**_

**Please see my short A/N at the bottom.**

* * *

><p><strong>Epilogue<strong>

* * *

><p>The weeks following Chloe's homecoming were some of the busiest yet best of my life. The Saturday after her arrival we spent the morning at Home Depot looking at paint samples trying to find the perfect shade of princess pink for Chloe's new room – which she loved of course. Bella even let her pick out a paint color and accessories for the hall bathroom. I couldn't find it in me to complain; my girls were my life.<p>

I dutifully painted both rooms; keeping Bella as far from the fumes as possible. Curtain rods were hung, bookcases were assembled and furniture was moved. My girls worked together to put the new bedding on the bed and decorated the walls with art and the shelves with knick knacks. Chloe loved it when we were done.

Mr. Christianson, my attorney was able to obtain Chloe's school records for me and I took a few days off to try and register her for school. I had discussed it with Mr. Christianson and he said it would look good to the social worker if I was attempting to establish stability for Chloe. Of course I had to explain to the school our situation and let them know that it was a possibility that Chloe wouldn't be attending at all, it depended on the custody hearing which was scheduled for September 2nd, just five days before school was supposed to start.

Bella was able to get in touch with one of the dance instructors that taught at the dance camp Chloe had been to the previous summer and arranged for Chloe to take lessons even though classes didn't officially start until September. Chloe also asked if she could register for Girl Scouts.

"My friends in California were in Girl Scouts and they said it was so much fun. Can I join too, Daddy?"

Bella looked at me with pleading eyes, and I knew in that moment it would be something that Bella would gladly help out with.

"Sure, Chloebear."

As promised, a court appointed social worker came by to check in on us. I gave her some private time with Chloe because I was sure she had some questions for Chloe and I didn't want my presence to influence her.

"Mr. Cullen, your daughter is doing extremely well. She's very excited about all the things that you've arranged for her such as her dance classes and Girl Scouts. I also understand that you've enrolled her in school?"

"Yes, ma'am. They understand that it's still a possibility that I won't have residential custody of her, but should the court decide to grant me that, she's all set. Our court date is Sept. 2nd and school starts on the 7th. I don't want her to be any more behind than she already is. She's going to have to repeat the second grade this year because her education suffered while she was in Bahrain and she can't pass the aptitude tests. My girlfriend, Bella and I will both work with her because we don't want her to get discouraged."

"You're very good for her, Mr. Cullen. She's happy here, and she really loves … Bella?"

"She does," I nodded.

September 2nd came way too fast for my liking, but my parents traveled with Chloe and me to California for the custody hearing. The judge contacted my attorney and specifically asked if I would bring Chloe. The judge asked if he could speak with her for a few minutes. It was the most frustrating twenty minutes of my life – not knowing what Chloe was telling him.

We were called into the courtroom by the bailiff and court was quickly called to order. My mom sat with Chloe outside the courtroom with a bag of things to entertain Chloe with while my dad and I sat in the courtroom waiting to see what the court decided.

"_It is the belief of this court that a child is a blessing and not a chore. A child is a human being and needs to be treated as such. Ms. Denali, no child should ever be a second priority. I've read over the testimony of both parties as well as the deposition of the court appointed social worker. Not in any one point of your testimony, Ms. Denali did I ever feel that your actions reflected concern for your child. You've failed to provide a stable home for her. A child shouldn't have to share a room with four other children nor should they have to sleep on the floor or wonder when their mother is going to come home. When the going gets tough you should persevere, not hop on the first flight to the Middle East taking away your ex-husband's rights to see his child. Last but certainly not least, every child has a right to an education and it's your job as a parent to make sure your child gets the education they deserve and you've failed at that as well._

_Mr. Cullen on the other hand has gone above and beyond securing that education for his daughter. She's enrolled for a school she's uncertain she'll attend until this court makes a decision. I have before me pictures of a beautifully decorated room his daughter calls her own and I'm told that if I let her stay with her father, she'll be allowed to register for Girl Scouts when school starts on Tuesday. It is my sincere belief that since she was removed from his care last summer, Mr. Cullen's first priority was the health and safety of his child as it should be. It has also come to my attention that there is a whole network of family support which I wholeheartedly believe to be important when raising a child._

"_This court in the case of Cullen vs. Denali, finds in favor of Mr. Cullen._ _Mr. Cullen will have full and residential custody of one Chloe Renee Cullen for a period of one year at which time this court will review progress of all involved parties. Ms. Denali you are granted visitation with your daughter, however it will be at the discretion of Mr. Cullen and it must always be in the presence of Mr. Cullen, an appointed family member or a court appointed social worker. Since Mr. Cullen resides in the state of Washington, all visitations will take place in his home state and it is up to you to make your own travel arrangements. Court is adjourned."_

My dad turned in his seat and pulled me into his arms. I couldn't stop the hot tears that ran down my cheeks. I could finally take Chloe home to stay. She could start school on Tuesday morning and live the life of a normal eight year old.

I called Bella and gave her the news as my dad called and tried to get us on a flight home that afternoon. Bella was in tears just like me – thankful that we could really begin to live our lives now that Chloe was going to be safe at home with us.

The first day of school, Bella and I both went into work late. We walked Chloe down to the bus stop and waited for the bus with her and waited until the tail lights were long gone. Bella had brought along her camera and taken a ton of pictures – acting like the proud mom on her daughter's first day of kindergarten. God, I loved her for it.

Between school, dance, Girl Scouts and soccer, Bella and I didn't have a whole lot of spare time but we ate up every minute of it. I'd come home from work to the sounds of my girls in the kitchen cooking dinner together and working on homework. Bella continued to read with Chloe and if my girls were quiet I knew they'd be curled up together reading somewhere.

I continued to walk Chloe to the bus stop every morning, and Bella changed her schedule at work so that she went to work early and was home by the time Chloe stepped off the bus. We fell into an easy but busy routine. Bella fit into our life flawlessly as I knew she would, but she stepped into the female role in Chloe's life with such grace it was amazing. She reassured Chloe that she'd never replace her mother but she was always there for her whenever she needed her.

For Chloe's 9th birthday, we took a group of giggly girls to the aquarium and spent the day wandering around before going to eat at a restaurant at Pike Place Market that Chloe loved. Chloe introduced Bella as her 'mom' for the first time that weekend. It meant more to Bella and me than we could ever have expressed.

Just before Thanksgiving, we found out that Bella was having a boy. We had to make the announcement that we were expecting because Bella was really starting to show and she was getting to the point where she couldn't wait any longer.

I proposed to her on Halloween. I'd filled a little box with candy and hid her ring in the midst of it insisting that she go through each and every piece. She was adorably irritated as she went through the box, but the look on her face when she found the ring was priceless.

"Edward …?"

"Will you marry me, Bella?"

I wiped the tears from her cheeks as she nodded fervently.

"Yes, yes of course I'll marry you, Edward!"

Along with telling our family and friends that we were expecting a boy, we told them that we were planning on getting married the following spring. I may have done things in the wrong order, but they couldn't have felt more right.

My son was born on a very rainy St. Patrick's Day. We named him Matthew Charles Cullen. Bella said he was God's way of wishing us good luck since Matthew means Gift from God. I wasn't about to argue with her. Our son was as close to perfection as you could get; just the right mix of Bella and me.

Chloe was the most amazing big sister. She loved to help Bella and me with Matthew whenever possible. She wished that she could feed him but Bella had chosen to breastfeed, so Chloe settled for reading to him softly as I burped him.

Bella and I were married later that spring at the same country club that Rosalie and Emmett were married at. The ceremony was simple yet beautiful. I stood at the front of the gazebo holding my son as Bella and her father walked down the aisle. She was absolutely breath taking in an ivory chiffon gown. I handed my son off to my dad as I took my place front and center with Bella.

We exchanged our vows and Bella turned to Chloe to give her a little locket vowing that she'd always be there for her no matter what.

"I love you, mommy," Chloe whispered.

Together, Bella, Chloe and I poured three colors of sand together symbolizing the unity of our family. Chloe argued at first saying there should be four colors because of Matthew but Bella explained that because Matthew was both a part of her and me that three colors would be just fine.

Later that evening, we sat on the couch; Bella curled up next to me with Chloe on her lap. One of my arms was wrapped around Bella and my son was sleeping peacefully in the other. Everything I ever wanted and needed was right there in my arms.

My hope as a father is for my children to grow up in a warm and loving home like my sister and I did. With Bella by my side, there is no doubt in my mind that together we can make that hope a reality.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: "Chloe" just turned 10 and is still in her dad's custody. She's absolutely thriving and was looking forward to her brother's first Christmas. = ) To my knowledge, "Irina" has not visited her since losing custody.**

**Thanks for reading!**


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